The presented study aims to evaluate the effects of osteoporosis on dental implants by analyzing a 12-year cumulative survival rate of implants placed in patients with osteoporosis.

37 patients with history of osteoporosis were selected from a pool of dental implant patients treated at the Department of Periodontology in Yonsei University Hospital between 1993 and 2007. The cumulative survival rate is quantified using data collected from 164 placed implants in the selected 37 patients.

3 out of the 164 implants failed and the cumulative survival rate was observed at 95.1%. The survival rates of the implants according to patients' age were 97.41% (<60) and 100% (60≤. The lower survival rate was directly proportional to younger age, and this relationship is statistically significant ( P <0.05). The survival rates of implants according to diagnostic criteria were 95.45% (osteopenia) and 98.59% (osteoporosis; 2 out of 142 implants placed in osteoporosis patients failed). The difference in the two survival rates is statistically significant ( P <0.05). The survival rates according to the region of implants do not have statistically significant difference. The survival rates according to the different length and diameter of the implants do not have statistically significant difference. The survival rates of implants accompanied and not accompanied by bone augmentation were 92.11% and 100%, respectively. The difference in the two survival rates is statistically significant ( P <0.05). The survival rates of implants placed in patients with and without history of medication for osteoporosis treatment are 96.67% and 99.04%, respectively. The difference in the two survival rates is statistically significant ( P <0.05).

A high cumulative survival rate of dental implants, similar to one found in non-osteoporosis patients, is observed in osteoporosis patients, indicating the possibility that placing dental implants on patients with osteoporosis can be considered with high treatment predictability.