A Comprehensive Review of Ligaplants: Biological Revolution in Dental Implantology

Abstract

Conventional endosseous dental implants rely on osseointegration to achieve anchorage. Although clinically successful, they inherently lack a functional periodontal ligament (PDL), which in natural dentition provides shock absorption, proprioception, adaptive mobility and a dynamic soft‐tissue and bone interface. The concept of a “ligaplant,” defined as a tissue‐engineered implant incorporating PDL stem or progenitor cells (or PDL‐like scaffolds) around a biomaterial fixture, offers a promising biomimetic alternative. This review presents the biological rationale for PDL integration, surveys current methodologies for ligaplant fabrication, summarises pre-clinical and emerging clinical evidence, discusses advantages and barriers, and outlines future translational pathways. While animal and in-vitro studies demonstrate formation of PDL‐like fibres, cementum‐like tissue and mechanical behaviour closer to natural teeth, the technique remains largely experimental with limited human data. Rigorous translational research, standardisation of cell‐scaffold constructs, and long-term clinical trials are required to validate ligaplants as a clinically viable alternative to conventional implants.