The efficacy of short (6 mm) dental implants with a novel thread design.

OBJECTIVE: To assess efficacy of short (6 mm) implants with a novel macrostructure and thread design placed in a compromised bone situations of edentulous posterior regions of maxilla (3-4 mm of bone height under sinus floor) as compared to results of clinical situations treated with simultaneous maxillary sinus grafting and placement of long (≥10 mm) implants of the same company. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical cases of conducted clinical study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with compromised bone height in edentulous posterior regions of maxilla were randomly divided into two groups. Short (6mm length) implant treatment conducted in the test group and simultaneous sinus lift with standard length implant placement treatment in the control group. RESULTS: In general implant stability quotient (ISQ) and marginal bone level (MBL) changes values in both groups were comparable. However, significant negative correlation was found between implant's diameter and MBL changes. CONCLUSIONS: Implant's length has little if none impact on initial implant anchorage, especially in greatly compromised residual bone situations. Results have confirmed that implant initial stability mainly depends on implant's macro-design and further its development on implant's micro-design: namely, implant diameter rather than length, tapered shape and improved thread design determines primarily acquired mechanical anchorage, while bioactive surface treatment ensures development of biological stability.

Fixed Full Arches Supported by Tapered Implants with Knife-Edge Thread Design and Nanostructured, Calcium-Incorporated Surface: A Short-Term Prospective Clinical Study.

Purpose. To evaluate implant survival, peri-implant bone loss, and complications affecting fixed full-arch (FFA) restorations supported by implants with a knife-edge thread design and nanostructured, calcium-incorporated surface. Methods. Between January 2013 and December 2015, all patients referred for implant-supported FFA restorations were considered for enrollment in this study. All patients received implants with a knife-edge thread design and nanostructured calcium-incorporated surface (Anyridge®, Megagen, South Korea) were restored with FFA restorations and enrolled in a recall program. The final outcomes were implant survival, peri-implant bone loss, biologic/prosthetic complications, and "complication-free" survival of restorations. Results. Twenty-four patients were selected. Overall, 215 implants were inserted (130 maxilla, 85 mandible), 144 in extraction sockets and 71 in healed ridges. Thirty-six FFAs were delivered (21 maxilla, 15 mandible): 27 were immediately loaded and 9 were conventionally loaded. The follow-up ranged from 1 to 3 years. Two fixtures failed, yielding an implant survival rate of 95.9% (patient-based). A few complications were registered, for a "complication-free" survival of restorations of 88.9%. Conclusions. FFA restorations supported by implants with a knife-edge thread design and nanostructured, calcium-incorporated surface are successful in the short term, with high survival and low complication rates; long-term studies are needed to confirm these outcomes.

Immediate, early (6 weeks) and delayed loading (3†months) of single implants: 4-month post-loading from a multicenter pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical outcome of single, partial and full fixed implant-supported prostheses immediately loaded (within 48 h), early loaded at 6 weeks and conventionally loaded at 3 months (delayed loading). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-one patients (27 requiring single implants, 27 requiring partial fixed prostheses and 27 requiring total fixed cross-arch prostheses) were randomised in equal numbers in three private practices to immediate loading (27 patients), early loading (27 patients) and conventional loading (27 patients) according to a parallel group design with three arms. To be immediately or early loaded, implants had to be inserted with a torque superior to 40 Ncm. Implants were initially loaded with provisional prostheses and replaced after 4 months by definitive ones. Outcome measures were prosthesis and implant failures and complications. RESULTS: No patient dropped out up to 4-months post-loading. No implant or prosthesis failed or any complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: All loading strategies were highly successful and no differences could be observed for implant survival and complications when loading implants immediately, early or conventionally. Conflict-of-interest statement: This trial was partially funded by MegaGen, the manufacturer of the implants evaluated in this investigation, however data belonged to the authors and by no means did the manufacturer interfere with the conduct of the trial or the publication of its results.