Oral Implants in Radiated Patients: A Systematic Review

Purpose: Oral malignancy is often treated with a combination of surgery and radiation therapy (RT). The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effects of pre- and postimplantation RT on dental implant failure. Materials and Methods: The literature published from 1990 through 2006 was reviewed for studies assessing pre- and postimplantation RT. Potential studies were identified by searches of PubMed, SCIRUS, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). The incidence of implant failure has been linked to the following variables: post- versus preimplantation RT, site of implant placement, RT dose, delay from RT to implant placement, and timing of implant failure after placement. Results: Similar failure rates were found for implants placed post-RT compared to those placed pre-RT (3.2% and 5.4%). In preimplantation RT, the implant failure rate was lower for the mandible (4.4%) in comparison to the maxilla (17.5%; OR = 4.63; 95% CI: 2.25 to 9.49). Other results did not reach statistical significance. No failures were observed in association with an RT dose lower than 45 Gy. All implant failures observed occurred within 36 months after RT, and most occurred between 1 and 12 months after placement. Conclusion: Notwithstanding the low number of implants evaluated, this review showed similar failure rate for implants placed post-RT and those placed pre-RT (3.2% and 5.4%, respectively). (Systematic Review) Keywords: dental implants, oral cancer, radiation therapy