A biomechanical assessment of the relation between the oral implant stability at insertion and subjective bone quality assessment.
OBJECTIVE
The study was set to evaluate the validity of subjective jaw bone quality assessment.


METHODS
A total of 298 patients (198 females, mean age 56.4) were treated with oral implants at the Periodontology Department at the University Hospital of KUL. A total of 761 TiUnite implants have been installed. Subjective bone quality assessment was performed on radiographs and by the surgeon's tactile sensation and was compared with torque measurements. In a subset of patients, implant stability was also assessed by implant stability quotient and/or periotest values.


RESULTS
Subjective assessment of bone quality was related to the PTV, ISQ and placement torque [in the crestal, the second and the apical third (N cm)], respectively; in grade 1: -5.3, 73.3 (4.2, 9.6, 15.2), and grade 3 or 4: -1.6, 55 (3.3, 5.5, 8.4). For the surgeon's tactile sensation, a good correlation was noted for the presence of a thick cortex: -4.6, 70.3 (4.2, 9.7, 15.1), or a thin one: -0.3, 65.9 (3.6, 6.9, 10.1). For dense trabecular bone, the values were -2.8, 69.4 (4.4, 9.7,14.8), while for poor trabecular bone, the values were-1.7, 66.4 (3.6, 6.4, 9.8).


CONCLUSIONS
Subjective assessment of bone quality is related to PTV, ISQ and placement torque measurements at implant insertion.
Alsaadi
Ghada
G
Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Oral Pathology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Quirynen
Marc
M
Michiels
Katleen
K
Jacobs
Reinhilde
R
van Steenberghe
Daniel
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous; D015921:Dental Implants; D017268:Dental Prosthesis Retention; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D005260:Female; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019415:Torque; D014110:Touch; D014732:Vibration
D015921:Dental Implants