Primary, secondary implant equal for fibula free tissue transfer

(HealthDay)—For patients with a fibula free tissue transfer (FFTT) for osteoradionecrosis (ORN) and osteonecrosis (ON) of the mandible, the rate of complications is similar for patients undergoing primary and secondary dental implantation, according to a study published online May 3 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

Deanna C. Menapace, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues conducted a retrospective review of 23 patients undergoing primary implantation (12 patients) or secondary implantation (11 patients) after FFTT for ORN and ON.

The researchers found that a mean of 5.2 implants were performed per patient, for a total of 121 implants. In the primary implantation group, there was one complete flap failure. Timing of implantation had no effect on flap or implant complications. In the primary and secondary implantation groups, the implant survival rate was 95 and 98 percent, respectively. The time from FFTT to abutment placement was significantly shorter after primary implantation (19.6 versus 61.0 weeks; P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant improvement in speech and oral competence in the primary implantation group. The fixed unit (U) costs for primary and secondary implantation were 1.0 and 1.24 U, respectively.

"Although dental implantation was safe and effective in both groups, the decreased time to use and the decreased overall cost should prompt surgeons to consider primary implantation after FFTT for ORN and ON," the authors write.

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