Evaluation of survival of 8 mm-length implants in posterior resorbed ridges: A pilot study

Context: Rehabilitation of jaws with reduced bone height is technically demanding and expensive. Short implants are emerging as an alternate in such cases. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the survival of implants of 8 mm in length (short implants), clinically and radiographically, in posterior resorbed ridges. Materials and Methods: A total of 11 patients with single missing posterior tooth, having 9-10 mm of residual bone height determined using radiographs, were selected for the study. Twelve implants of 8 mm length were inserted in the resorbed alveolar ridges following standard operating procedure. A second-stage surgery was performed 4-6 months after implant placement for placement of gingival former. This was followed by placement of prosthesis. Twelve months after prosthesis placement, all the patients were examined clinically and radiographically. Results: According to Albrektsson et al.'s criteria, all implants were successful with mean bone loss of 1.1 ± 0.32 mm mesially and 0.83 ± 0.35 mm distally with healthy gingival condition at 12-month follow-up. Conclusion: Short implants (8 mm in length) can be a viable alternative in cases of atrophic alveolar ridges.