Implant-supported welded titanium frameworks in the edentulous maxilla: a 5-year prospective multicenter study.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the 5-year clinical and radiographic performance of fixed implant-supported maxillary prostheses with either welded titanium or conventional cast-gold alloy frameworks.


METHODS
Fifty-eight consecutive patients were provided with 349 osseointegrated Brånemark system implants in the edentulous maxilla at six different implant centers. Twenty-eight of the patients received, at random, prostheses with laser-welded titanium frameworks, and the remaining 30 patients had prostheses with conventional cast-gold alloy frameworks. Clinical and radiographic data were collected for 5 years after prosthesis placement.


RESULTS
The titanium and cast-gold framework groups exhibited similar cumulative survival and success rates (CSR). The 5-year implant CSR from time of placement was 91.4% and 94.0%, respectively, and from prosthesis delivery the rate was 94.9% and 95.6%, respectively. The corresponding 5-year prosthesis CSRs were 96.4% and 93.3%. One patient from each group lost all the implants and turned to complete dentures within the first year of function. Another patient with a cast-gold framework had the prosthesis replaced after 4 years, basically because of problems with the veneering material. No fractures of implant components were observed during the follow-up period. Bone loss was on average 0.59 mm (SD 0.97 mm) during 5 years, with no statistical difference between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Welded titanium frameworks presented a similar favorable clinical performance as conventional cast-gold alloy frameworks in fixed implant-supported prostheses in the edentulous maxilla after 5 years in function. Implant failures were concentrated in only a few patients in each study group.
Jemt
Torsten
T
Brånemark Clinic, Public Dental Health, Göteborg, Sweden. torsten.jemt@vgregion.se
Bergendal
Birgitta
B
Arvidson
Kristina
K
Bergendal
Tord
T
Karlsson
L D S d Ulf
LD
Linden
Bengt
B
Rundcrantz
Torgil
T
Wendelhag
Inger
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003734:Dental Casting Investment / Q000737:chemistry; D015921:Dental Implants; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D012994:Dental Soldering; D003779:Denture Design; D003781:Denture Retention; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006047:Gold Alloys / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016348:Osseointegration; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D003734:Dental Casting Investment; D015921:Dental Implants; D006047:Gold Alloys; D014025:Titanium