Platform-switching to preserve peri-implant bone: a meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

The objective of this meta-analysis was to determine the literature-based evidence if platform-switching has an effect in preventing marginal bone loss around prosthodontic implants following their functional loading in comparison to conventional platform-matching. A systematic literature search was performed on PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar for Literature from 1950 to January 2015, human randomized clinical trials [RCTs] and prospective clinical controlled cohort studies [PCCS] reporting marginal bone loss around platform-switched and matched implants. Six RCTs with a low risk of bias revealed a significantly less mean marginal bone loss [0.57 mm [CI 95% 0.30; 0.84]] around platform-switched implants in comparison to platform-matched implants [1.14 mm [CI 95% 0.69; 1.6, p < 0.001]]. The meta-analysis revealed a significantly less peri-implant marginal bone loss with platform-switched implants as compared to platform-matched implants. The qualitative analysis depicts a trend favouring the platform-switching technique over platform- matching technique to prevent marginal bone loss. However, owing to the heterogeneity of the included studies, their results necessitate cautious interpretation: