title: Evaluation of osteoblastic activity around dental implants using bone scintigraphy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the osteoblastic activity around delay-loaded intraosseous dental implants using nuclear medicine imaging techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven totally edentulous patients (two females and five males, between 48 and 57 years of age) were included in the study. Two implants were inserted into mandibular canine regions and removable prostheses were produced after 3 months. Whole-body bone scintigraphies with 20 mCi technetium 99m labelled methylene diphosphonate were taken from the patients before implant insertion, 3 months after implant placement just before the prostheses were made and 1 year after implant placement. Standardized count/pixel (SC/P) rates were calculated for each patient. Preimplantation SC/P values were compared with the 3- and 12-month values. Three-month values were compared with the 12-month values as well.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SC/P rates in the third month were significantly higher (P<0.05) than preoperative values and the SC/P rates of the 12th month were significantly lower (P<0.05) than 3-month values. The SC/P rates of the 12th month were relatively higher than first scintigraphies but the difference was insignificant (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the limitations of this study, in which delayed loading was applied, we showed that osteoblastic activity persisted more in delay loaded implants than immediate and early loading. After 1 year, there was no cellular activity around two implants and this implied that two implants were sufficient for a total prosthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalayci
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Durmus
authors.forename: Güngör
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tastekin
authors.forename: Kubilay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Isik
authors.forename: Ozgür
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Inan
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods; D015921:Dental Implants; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016348:Osseointegration / Q000502:physiology*; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate