Three Immediately Loaded Rigidly Connected Implants: Follow-up of 50 Edentulous Mandibles

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Three Immediately Loaded Rigidly Connected Implants: Follow-up of 50 Edentulous Mandibles
D. VAN STEENBERGHE1, L. MOLLY1, B. VANDEKERCKHOVE1, E. DE SMET2, and I. NAERT2, 1 Cathol. Univ. Leuven, Dept. Periodontol, Belgium, 2 Cathol. Univ. Leuven, Dept. Prosth. Dent, Belgium
2003
IADR
Objectives: Except for the original publication by Br?īnemark et al. (1999) demonstrating that one can install an immediately functioning fixed prosthesis, on a very rigid bar supported by 3 implants only in the edentulous lower jaw, no information is available. This contrasts sharply with the classical two-stage approach for osseointegrated implants.
Methods: A series of 50 consecutive patients, not selected for any systemic or smoking condition (half of each gender, between 45 and 80 years old) received at the department of periodontology each three 5mm diameter implants connected by a bar (Br?īnemark Novum¨?, Nobel Biocare, Sweden). The prosthesis was screw retained on top of it at the department of prosthetic dentistry within two days of surgery (44) or after a delay due to external factors of up to 10 days (6).
Results: 45 patients were followed for 1 year (one patient lost all 3 implants, 4 patients were lost to follow-up because they moved or did not understand the need for control visits), 17 for 2 and 9 for 3 years. The cumulative survival rate for implants at 3 years was 89.8 %. Implant failures (13 implants in 7 patients) showed no significant relation with smoking and extractions at time of implant installation. The 2 patients in whom an implant-supported prosthesis was present in the opposing jaw did show implant failures. The marginal bone loss at one year was on average 0.87mm (SD: 1.54; range -6.0 to +3.3).
Conclusion: This study shows that stable marginal bone levels can be maintained around immediately loaded implants in the lower jaw in an average patient population for at least one year. The survival rate is however significantly lower than for a staged approach (Lindquist et al. 1996).