Short implant in limited bone volume

Abstract

Rehabilitation of severely resorbed jaws with dental implants remains a surgical and prosthetic challenge for clinicians. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the available data on short-length implants and discuss their indications and limitations in daily clinical practice. A structured review of MEDLINE and a manual search were conducted. Thirty-two case series devoted to short-length implants, 14 reviews and 3 randomized controlled trials were identified. Of this group of papers, we can conclude that short-length implants can be successfully used to support single and multiple fixed reconstructions in posterior atrophied jaws, even in those with increased crown-to-implant ratios. The use of short-length implants allows treatment of patients who are unable to undergo complex surgical techniques for medical, anatomic or financial reasons. Moreover, the use of short-length implants in daily clinical practice reduces the need for complex surgeries, thus reducing morbidity, cost and treatment time. The use of short implants promotes the new concept of stress-minimizing surgery, allowing the surgeon to focus more on the correct three-dimensional positioning of the implant.