Five-year Alveolar Bone Levels of Dental Implants after Immediate Loading

Five-year Alveolar Bone Levels of Dental Implants after Immediate Loading
14 March 2003
A.M. POLSON1, D. SHARKEY1, I. LEE1, A.P. POLSON1, L. MINSK1, H. SALAMA1, L. ROSE1, and M. FELDSTEIN2, 1 University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, USA, 2 MDCI, North Attleboro, MA, USA
IADR
Objectives: Previous communications (Lee et al. 2002) documented 5 year survival rate (100%) and clinical status around 65 immediately and 40 delayed-loaded splinted implants in 13 test and 8 control subjects. The present report analyzes and compares alveolar bone levels 5 years post-loading. Methods: Standardized periapical radiographs had been taken of the 5 implants in each subject using customized stents at loading, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months. Radiographs were analyzed by a blinded, calibrated examiner for peri-implant radiolucencies and location of crestal alveolar bone levels (Buser et al. 1990). Statistical comparisons of alveolar bone levels were made within and between the groups across time using paired (within) and unpaired (between) techniques correcting for baseline values. Results: Peri-implant radiolucency was present in only 1 control group subject. Crestal alveolar bone levels within the control group (delayed-loading), were similar across time [loading mean (SE): 2.96 (0.29)mm, 1 year: 2.87 (0.30)mm, 2 year: 2.85 (0.31)mm, 3 year: 2.93 (0.27)mm, 4 year: 2.98 (0.32)mm, 5 year: 2.95 (0.30)mm]. Within the test group (immediate-loading), alveolar bone levels at 1 year [3.11 (0.19)mm], 2 years [2.84 (0.18)mm], 3 years [2.87 (0.16)mm], 4 years [3.24 (0.16)mm] and 5 years [3.09 (0.18)mm], were significantly more apical than at loading [2.09 (0.16), p < 0.01], however, there were no differences between 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 year levels. Comparisons between the groups showed that the bone level at loading in the immediately-loaded test group had been significantly more coronal (p < 0.01). At 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years post-loading, there were no differences between the groups. Conclusions: Alveolar bone levels were different in the groups at loading, but there were no differences at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years, and bone levels had been stable across that time. Supported by ITI Straumann.