Is Osteoporosis a Risk Factor for Osseointegration of Dental Implants?

The success of osseointegration depends in part on the state of the host bed. Concerns have therefore been raised about osteoporosis, a condition believed to be associated with a decrease in bone quality and quantity. However, the orthopedic literature indicates that osteoporotic fractures heal readily and that the level of bone mass and estimates of the parameters associated with bone remodeling present considerable overlap between patients with osteoporosis and control subjects. It also appears that osteoporosis, as diagnosed at one particular site of the skeleton, is not necessarily seen at another distant site. Although the prevalence of osteoporosis increases among the elderly and after menopause, the results of this study indicate that implant failure rate is not correlated with age and sex. A review of the literature and of results of a series of patients treated does not provide a compelling theoretical or practical basis to expect osteoporosis to be a risk factor for osseointegrated dental implants. Keywords: dental implant, osseointegration, osteoporosis