Baseline-Dependent Biological Response to Peri-Implant Soft Tissue Augmentation: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial
Abstract
Objectives: Clinical outcomes of peri-implant soft tissue augmentation remain variable, and baseline-associated factors of treatment response are poorly understood. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate baseline-associated patterns of peri-implant soft tissue gain following augmentation with connective tissue grafts (CTG) and volume-stable collagen matrices (VCMX). Materials and Methods: This study represents a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial including 32 implant sites (CTG, n = 16; VCMX, n = 16). Peri-implant soft tissue thickness (STT) was measured using high-frequency ultrasonography at baseline (T0), 3 months (T1), and 12 months (T2). Absolute and relative STT gains were analyzed, and their relationship with baseline thickness was assessed. Results: Both augmentation approaches resulted in significant increases in soft tissue thickness, with most of the gain occurring during the early healing phase. At 12 months, CTG demonstrated greater absolute tissue gain than VCMX. At the mid-buccal measurement site, mean relative gain was approximately 225% with CTG and 147% with VCMX. The strongest inverse correlation between baseline STT and relative gain was also observed at this site in the CTG group (r = −0.815, p < 0.001). Sites with thinner tissues showed greater proportional increases, whereas thicker tissues demonstrated a reduced relative response. Conclusions: Relative soft tissue gain was inversely associated with baseline soft tissue thickness.…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a secondary / pooled analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 16 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Global, regional, and national burden of hepatitis B, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
- A meta‐analysis of anal cancer incidence by risk group: Toward a unified anal cancer risk scale
- Global fertility in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2021, with forecasts to 2100: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
- Exercise interventions in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Prognostic Significance of Carbonic Anhydrase IX Expression in Cancer Patients: A Meta-Analysis
- Glucocorticoid Resistance: Is It a Requisite for Increased Cytokine Production in Depression? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.