In vivo and in vitro accuracy analysis of static computer-assisted implant surgery in an edentulous patient

Background: Recently, intraoral scanning (IOS) has been proposed as a new tool to evaluate the accuracy of static computer-assisted implant surgery (s-CAIS); however, further research is needed to improve the precision of IOS for full-arch impressions. The purpose of the study was to assess the accuracy of s-CAIS in an edentulous patient either in vivo or in vitro with two different evaluation techniques and to investigate if their results are comparable. Methods: A patient with terminal dentition was selected and four implants were placed using s-CAIS with a bone-supported stackable template. Segmentation used for designing a template was 3D printed, and then four implants were placed in the model following the same protocol as for s-CAIS. The model then underwent cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and laboratory scanning to evaluate its accuracy. Data were uploaded to specific software, and accuracy values were automatically generated. Results: A statistical analysis was not attempted since all measurements were performed on the same patient and model. When descriptively comparing the accuracy of the two methods of treatment evaluation in the in vitro scenario, comparable results were obtained between IOS and CBCT, except for the angle. Conclusions: As the intraoral scanning procedure in fully edentulous patients is not yet clinically validated, utilizing CBCT can still be recommended for the accurate evaluation of computer-assisted implant placement.