Homologous transplantation with fresh frozen bone for dental implant placement can induce HLA sensitization: a preliminary study

It has been related in orthopedic surgeries the HLA sensitization. Thus, we evaluate if the use of fresh-frozen homologous bone (FFHB) for dental implant placement induce anti-HLA sensitization. Six patients were treated with FFHB corticocancellous block grafts. After 6 months, bone biopsies were harvested during implant placement to allow histomorphometric analysis. Vital mineralized tissue (VMT), non-vital mineralized tissue (NVMT) and non-mineralized tissue (NMT) were quantified histomorphometrically. Peripheral blood was collected from the patients before FFHB placement and 6 months after the surgery for anti-HLA analysis. The histomorphometric analysis showed the presence of VMT, NVMT and NMT in 45.56 ± 15.72 %, 14.16 ± 13.39 % and 40.29 ± 12.60 %, respectively. The baseline and 6 months postoperative CTs revealed bone thickness in the order of 5.66 ± 0.67 mm and 8.71 ± 1.52 mm (3.05 ± 1.39 mm). The anti-HLA analysis revealed that two of the six patients (33.3 %) became sensitized, however this was not associated with any FFHB incorporation loss (p > 0.05). A total of 24 implants were placed all of which were osseointegrated after 6 months. Although FFHB-related HLA sensitization does not appear to affect bone incorporation when treating insufficient bone thickness for implant placement, further follow-up is required to determine whether there is an association between HLA sensitization and long-term graft survival.