Risk Factors for Implant Failure and Peri-Implant Pathology in Systemic Compromised Patients

Purpose: To identify the possible risk factors for implant failure and peri-implant pathology in a population of systemically compromised patients. Materials and Methods: This retrospective clinical study included a total of 721 systemically compromised patients (422 women, 299 men), with an average age of 51 years (range: 20 to 87) rehabilitated with dental implants. The average follow-up time was 7.3 years. The patients’ demographic variables (age and gender) and clinical variables (implant location, type of implant surface, and systemic conditions) were recorded. Outcome measures were implant failure and peri-implant pathology. Binary logistic regression models were performed to investigate the effect of the patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics on the dependent variables implant failure and peri-implant pathology. A linear regression model was performed to correlate the patient's characteristics with the number of failed implants. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals and corresponding levels of significance were estimated for each variable. Results: Multivariate logistic regression disclosed increased age (patients over 40 years of age) as a risk factor for implant failure (OR = 2.63) and hepatitis as a risk factor for peri-implant pathology (OR = 3.74). Multivariate linear regression disclosed rheumatologic and cardiac diseases to be correlated with a higher number of failed implants. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, the results suggest no absolute contraindications for implant rehabilitation in a population of systemically compromised patients. Nevertheless, this study suggests that increasing age, rheumatological condition, cardiovascular condition, and hepatitis should be considered when performing implant-supported rehabilitations due to their negative influence on the outcome.