The evolution of dental implants 169

Fig. 5-68. Linkow's blade implant, or blade-vent. Its buccolingual face is wedge-shaped, making it possible to tap it deep into bone. Before insertion, its narrow neck is easily bent so that the post is parallel to other abutments. (From Linkow, L. I.: The blade vent—a new dimension in endosseous implantology, Dent. Concepts, Spring, 1968.)

BLADE IMPLANTS

One of the most recent implants, Leonard I. Linkow's blade implant or blade-vent, was originally conceived for insertion in knife-edge ridges. However, it has proved applicable to most other implant sites. The blade implant is extremely narrow buccolingually and quite broad anteroposteriorly (Fig. 5-68). It may be shallow or deep (Fig. 5-69) or cut to fit an atypical site without disturbing its stability (Fig. 5-70). A single blade with two abutment posts may be used in a long span, a definite improvement over separately inserting and balancing two or more post type implants in the same span (Fig. 5-71).

The blade-vent is inserted by first reflecting the fibromucosa and exposing the bone. Then a slit is made in the cortical plate and into the cancellous bone to the same depth as the blade portion of the implant. The groove must be made parallel to the walls of the bone. The implant is set in the slit and driven to the desired depth by tapping it through the cancellous bone. The shoulders of the implant should be buried slightly below the cortical plate. The head is bent parallel to the neighboring prepared teeth, and the prosthesis is fitted over the protruding head.

As bone regrows around the implant and through the holes in it, the implant becomes permanently

Fig. 5-69. Blades come in many sizes and shapes. A, Some are shallow for shallow alveolar bone. B, Others are deep for areas with a great deal of alveolar bone between the crest and an anatomic landmark. All have vents, or holes, for bone to grow through.