Osseointegration of dental implants in bone irradiated with 40, 50 or 60 gy doses. An experimental study with beagle dogs.

Construction of different kinds of prostheses on irradiated bone tissues after tumour surgery is a complicated part of modern implantology. In irradiated regions of the jaws where the bone layers are thin and the blood supply also is minimal, knowledge of the impact of each dose of radiation is very important. The aim of this study was to compare the bone response around titanium implants loaded with fixed bridges in dog mandibles irradiated with total doses of 40, 50 or 60 Gy. The results suggest that after irradiation with 40-50 Gy, when the dose is fractioned in order to achieve higher tolerance of the tissues compared with single dose irradiation, titanium implants may become osseointegrated in the mandibles. For high success rates, however, careful planning of radiotherapy and selection of implantation site with an adequate blood supply are essential.