Quantification of the Apical Palatal Bone Index for Maxillary Incisor Immediate Implant Assessment: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Apical palatal bone is important in immediate implant evaluation. Current consensus gives qualitative suggestions regarding it, limiting its clinical decision-making value. Objectives: To quantify the apical palatal bone dimension in maxillary incisors and reveal its quantitative correlation with other implant-related hard tissue indices to give practical advice for pre -immediate implant evaluation and design. Material and methods: A retrospective analysis of immediate implant-related hard tissue indices in maxillary incisors obtained by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was conducted. Palatal bone thickness at the apex level (Apical-P) on the sagittal section was selected as a parameter reflecting the apical palatal bone. Its quantitative correlation with other immediate implant-related hard tissue indices was revealed. Clinical advice of pre-immediate implant assessment was given based on the quantitative classification of Apical-P and its other correlated immediate implant-related hard tissue indices. Results: Apical-P positively correlated with cervical palatal bone, whole cervical buccal-palatal bone, sagittal root angle, and basal bone width indices. while negatively correlated with apical buccal bone, cervical buccal bone, and basal bone length indices. Six quantitative categories of Apical-P are proposed. Cases with Apical-P below 4 mm had an insufficient apical bone thickness to accommodate the implant placement, while ApicalP beyond 12 mm should be cautious about the severe implant inclination. Cases with Apical-P of 4-12 mm can generally achieve satisfying immediate implant outcomes via regulating the implant inclination. Conclusions: Quantification of the apical palatal bone index for maxillary incisor immediate implant assessment can be achieved, providing a quantitative guide for immediate implant placement in the maxillary incisor zone. (c) 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.