What Researchers Did
Researchers surveyed 11 centers in Japan and the United States to analyze the outcomes of osseointegrated implants placed in irradiated maxillae and mandibles.
What They Found
They found that 228 implants were placed in 44 patients across these centers. Of these, 169 implants were placed in the mandible with 3 removals, while 59 were placed in the maxilla with 17 removals. Notably, 119 implants placed in the mandible without adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen treatment had only 2 removals.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This study suggests that Canadian patients who have received radiation therapy for head and neck cancers may be candidates for osseointegrated implants in the mandible. It indicates that hyperbaric oxygen treatment might not always be necessary for successful implant placement in selected irradiated mandibular cases.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted in Japan and the United States and does not have a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its retrospective survey design and the potential for selection bias among the "selected patients" included.