Mandibular growth following implant restoration: does Wolff's law apply to residual ridge resorption?
Reddy, M.S.; Geurs, N.C.; Wang, I.-C.; Liu, P.-R.; Hsu, Y.-T.; Jeffcoat, R.L.; Jeffcoat, M.K.
International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry 22(4): 315-321
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0198-7569 PMID: 12212678 Document Number: 540866
This study measured bone height under a fixed detachable cantilever restoration supported by five or six endosseous implants in 60 consecutively treated patients. Panoramic films were made at surgery and 1, 2, 3, and 4 years postrestoration. A computer-enhanced method was used to measure mandibular height 5, 10, 15, and 20 mm distal to the last implant, which was used as a length. standard to correct for variation in film magnification. Implant restoration resulted in a significant growth of the mandible (baseline: 7.25 +/- 0.25 mm, 4 years: 8.18 +/- 0.18 mm; P = .05). The growth in dimension appears to occur during the first year of function.