A 5-year prospective radiographic evaluation of marginal bone levels adjacent to parallel-screw cylinder machined-neck implants and rough-surfaced microthreaded implants using digitized panoramic radiographs.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this split-mouth study was to compare macro- and microstructure implant surfaces at the marginal bone level over five years of functional loading.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From January to February 2006, 133 implants (70 rough-surfaced microthreaded implants and 63 machined-neck implants) were inserted in the mandible of 34 patients with Kennedy Class I residual dentitions and followed until December 2011. Marginal bone level was radiographically determined at six time points: implant placement (baseline), after the healing period, after six months, and at two years, three years, and five years follow-up.

RESULTS

Median follow-up time was 5.2 years (range: 5.1-5.4). The machined-neck group had a mean crestal bone loss of 0.5 mm (0.0-2.3) after the healing period, 1.1 mm (0.0-3.0) at two years follow-up, and 1.4 mm (0.0-2.9) at five years follow-up. The rough-surfaced microthreaded implant group had a mean bone loss of 0.1 mm (-0.4 to 2.0) after the healing period, 0.5 mm (0.0-2.1) at two years follow-up, and 0.7 mm (0.0-2.3) at five years follow-up. The two implant types showed significant differences in marginal bone levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Rough-surfaced microthreaded design caused significantly less loss of crestal bone levels under long-term functional loading in the mandible when compared to machined-neck implants.

Copyright © 2012 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.