DENTAL UPDATES
First 3D-printed ceramic subperiosteal jaw implant placed in patient Lithoz has announced the successful placement of a 3D-printed ceramic subperiosteal jaw implant in a patient for the first time ever. A patient at Kepler University Hospital, who had lost multiple dental implants and bone grafts in the past due to his compromised health, was unable to receive further conventional surgical strategies as a result of significant scarring and thus received the new implant as a compassionate use case. As one of the partners in the project, Lithoz has been researching the optimal fusion of various biomaterials with the advantages of 3D printing since 2021. The surgery, led by Dr Christoph Staudigl, was a successful world first use of a ceramic subperiosteal jaw implant in a compassionate use case on a patient. Despite some expected wound healing issues after surgery, the superior soft tissue compatibility of zirconia compared to titanium played its role spectacularly. The implant showed clinical stability after 60 days, representing a decisive breakthrough for the treatment of severely atrophic jaws according to Lithoz. Made of biocompatible high-strength zirconia using Lithoz LCM technology, the implant did not require any bone augmentation and required only one procedure, reducing healing time by an estimated 75% and avoiding excess trauma for the patient. Thanks to this synergetic innovation in design and material, all the necessary surgical procedures were completed in a single operation. The design of the customised implant was pioneered by the Centre for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering at the Medical University of Vienna in collaboration with Dr Staudigl. The implant will be patented and adopted as a medical device by BioMed Centre spin-off Agensmed GmbH and will be manufactured using Lithoz 3D printers. A clinical trial is being prepared to systematically validate its efficacy. DA
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13 DENTAL ASIA SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2024
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19/08/24 12:56
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