Rough Implants in Vertically Augmented Bone: A Retrospective Study with 4 to 15 Years of Follow-up

While vertical guided bone regeneration (vGBR) is a popular technique for treating alveolar bone deficiency, there are no long-term studies analyzing the longevity of the results and the success of this approach. This retrospective study analyzes the clinical and radiographic outcomes of oxidized implants placed after vGBR with a follow-up period of 4 to 15 years. The study considers 41 vGBR patients who received one or more rough-surface implants between 2001 and 2013 (115 implants total). Clinical and radiographic outcomes were recorded during follow-up visits. A multiple logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between peri-implantitis and demographic, surgical, and clinical variables, as well as the length of the follow-up period. The cumulative survival rate of the implants over the mean follow-up period of 9.6 +/- 3.4 years was 95.7%, with peri-implantitis observed in 26.1% of the implant sites. The variables that correlated with the occurrence of peri-implantitis were smoking (OR: 8.5, 95% CI: 1.6-44.5, P < .01), posterior mandible implant position (OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2-3.9, P < .01), and the length of the follow-up period (OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-2.2, P < .01). Along with previous long-term follow-up studies, these results suggest that oxidized-surface implants carry higher risk for peri-implantitis than machined-surface implants.