FRESNO, Calif.—Patients with severe maxillary atrophy—marked by extreme upper jaw bone loss—often face limited options for traditional dental implants. Extensive bone grafting is typically required, leaving many unable to receive standard implant treatment.
A recent study published in the Journal of Oral Implantology highlights zygomatic implants as a promising alternative. Researchers from the University of Zurich, the Center for Clinical Research and Evidence Synthesis in Oral Tissue Regeneration in Michigan, and Swiss dental centers analyzed outcomes of two established surgical approaches: the quad-zygoma and hybrid-zygoma techniques.
Lead author Dr. Leonardo Mancini, DDS, PhD, explained that the study’s primary goal was to evaluate long-term implant survival, while secondary objectives included tracking biological and technical complications. The study examined 262 zygomatic implants—220 using the quad-zygoma method and 42 using the hybrid-zygoma approach—over an average follow-up of 67.6 months.
Results were encouraging: overall implant survival reached 96.9%, with only eight failures. Biological complications, most commonly sinusitis, affected 27.6% of patients, while technical issues, such as screw fractures or loosening, occurred in 6.5% of cases. Despite these challenges, patient satisfaction was overwhelmingly positive. Among the 40 patients who completed a survey, 94.7% reported high satisfaction and said they would undergo the procedure again.
Dr. Mancini and colleagues concluded that zygomatic implants offer a reliable solution for patients with atrophic maxillae. “Although these techniques carry a higher risk of biological and mechanical complications than conventional implants, long-term survival rates remain favorable, and patient acceptance is high,” they wrote.
This study underscores the growing role of zygomatic implants in addressing severe upper jaw bone