The use of the transmandibular implant system in extreme atrophy of the mandible; a retrospective study of the results in two different hospital situations

This retrospective study aims to investigate and compare the results obtain ed with the transmandibular implant (TMI) in two different hospital situati ons. Group I were patients treated in a teaching hospital since 1984 by a v arying group of surgeons and prosthodontists with a varying degree of exper ience with the TMI. Group II were patients treated in 1993 and 1994 by expe rienced surgeons and prosthodontists in the hospital where the TMI was orig inally developed. In group I, a relatively high frequency of reversible (45 .4%) and irreversible - i.e. implant loss - (15.2%) complications occurred. In group II, no implants were lost and reversible complications were repor ted in 10.8% of the patients. In general, the patients of both groups were quite satisfied with the result of the treatment. In both groups, limited b one loss around the implant posts could be observed. An increase in the hei ght of the mandibular bone distal of the lateral posts was frequently obser ved, especially in group II. It is concluded that both very favourable and less favourable results can be obtained with the TMI. In this study the bes t results are found in a highly specialized TMI centre, where patients are treated - with only uncompromised implant-posts - by a small group of exper ienced surgeons and prosthodontics with accurate application of the existin g guidelines.