This study aims to assess the long-term survival and success rates of pterygoid implants, including bone loss and peri-implant soft tissue health. A retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent posterior maxillary rehabilitation with pterygoid implants between September 2012 and December 2017 at the University of Poznan. Patient selection criteria included: complete edentulism of the maxilla or partial edentulism in the posterior portion of an atrophic maxilla and with the presence of a mesial support for a partial denture. Panoramic and CBCT radiology were used pre-surgically for the planning and post surgically to evaluate the angle of inclination of the implants in relation to the Frankfurt plane. Periodontal probing was analyzed together with success rate and bone resorption analysis. Seventy patients were rehabilitated with 130 pterygoid implants with follow up. Implant diameter was 4.70 mm, implant length was 18.0 mm. The mean mesio-distal inclination was 58 degrees. During the healing period 4 implants were lost. After loading no implant was lost nor were any prosthetic complications recorded. Mean probing was reported to be 3 mm with bone loss of 0.6 mm. This study indicates that placement of pterygoid implants are a good solution in rehabilitating posterior atrophied maxillae. Mesio-distal inclination of the pterygoid implants at 58 degrees has exhibited an excellent medium term survival rate. Bone loss level around the implants when compared was in line with that of conventional implants.
Roy et al. (Wed,) studied this question.