Abstract Objective Zygomatic implant placement is a challenging surgical procedure, as the implants are inserted with limited accessibility and visibility. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of completely limiting versus partially limiting computer-generated 3D surgical guides for zygomatic implant placement in patients with atrophic maxillae. Materials and methods This prospective randomized controlled study included participants with atrophic posterior maxilla indicated for zygomatic implant (ZI) placement. The participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups. Group I received ZI using completely limiting 3D computer-guided surgical templates, while Group II underwent ZI placement using partially limiting 3D computer-guided surgical templates. The primary outcome variable was the accuracy of implant placement, which was assessed by measuring linear deviations at the implant coronal and apical points, as well as angular deviations. The secondary outcome was the duration of the operative time. Results This study evaluated 12 zygomatic implants (6 per group) in 6 patients (mean age: 56.9 ± 7.57 years). Baseline demographics and clinical features were well-balanced between groups, with comparable age and sex distributions. There were no statistically significant differences in linear or angular deviations between the groups, except for a statistically significant greater apical deviation in the midsagittal plane for Group II ( p = 0.015). Group II had a significantly shorter mean operative time (21.17 ± 2.14 min) than Group I (27 ± 2.37 min) ( p = 0.01). No dropouts or postoperative complications (e.g., infection, peri-implantitis, or sinus-related issues) have occurred. Conclusions Within the limitations of the sample size of this study, the partially limiting surgical guide could provide a successful and less invasive treatment modality for zygomatic implant placement, as it significantly reduces the surgical time with comparable overall accuracy. However, the completely limiting guide demonstrates superior control at the critical apical implant position. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.org (NCT06227351) 2024-02-05.
Ghallab et al. (2026) studied this question.