Removal torque of immediately loaded transitional endosseous implants in human subjects.
OBJECTIVE
Transitional implants were designed to support provisional restorations and to allow for load-free osseointegration of conventional implants while a patient was provided with immediate esthetics and function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the removal torque values of immediately loaded transitional implants in human subjects.


METHODS
Thirty-one 1.8-mm-diameter transitional implants were placed in 4 patients to support provisional restorations and were subjected to immediate loading. Removal torque values were recorded using a modified ITI torque driver, which was calibrated on an Instron test machine. Torque values were subjected to analysis of variance and post hoc comparisons of means (P < .05).


RESULTS
Twenty-six implants were removed intact with torque values between 10.5 and 22.9 Ncm, while 5 fractured at the bone crest at values between 27.1 and 35.4 Ncm. Mean torque values increased with time in function. These values were significantly lower in the maxilla (16.1 +/- 4.8 Ncm) than in the mandible (24.0 +/- 7.3 Ncm).


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that these transitional implants may be safely removed from the maxilla after 7 to 15 months, but there is a risk of implant fracture during removal from the mandible after 10 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Removal torque levels for these implants indicate varying degrees of integration even though they were subjected to immediate loading.
Simon
Harel
H
UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, California, USA. sims1@hotmail.com
Caputo
Angelo A
AA
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002138:Calibration; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods*; D015921:Dental Implants; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D003794:Dental Restoration, Temporary; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D020878:Device Removal; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016348:Osseointegration; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019415:Torque; D016474:Weight-Bearing
D015921:Dental Implants