Retrospective multicenter study of 230 6-mm SLA-surfaced implants with 1- to 6-year follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
Using short implants poses a challenge in implant surgery. Implant surfaces have evolved, making it possible to improve the success of short implants substantially. However, there is still little information about the long-term predictability achieved with short, rough-surfaced implants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term survival rate of 6-mm rough implants.


METHODS
A retrospective multicenter analysis of the survival of short 6-mm SLA-surfaced implants was conducted. A total of 230 implants placed in 159 patients were included. The follow-up time ranged between 1 and 6 years.


RESULTS
Seven of the 230 implants failed, which gives a cumulative survival rate of 96.4%. Two hundred and fourteen implants were placed in the mandible (93.1%), as opposed to 16 placed in the maxilla (6.9%). Five implants failed during the osseointegration period, and two failed after receiving the prosthetic load. No statistically significant differences were found (P < .44). Of the loaded implants, 209 were splinted to other implants, as opposed to 14 that were not. One implant failed in each group, resulting in a 99.5% for the splinted implants and 92.9% for the unsplinted implants. No statistically significant differences were found between the splinted and unsplinted groups (P < .12).


CONCLUSIONS
The short implants used in this study displayed high longterm predictability when placed in the mandible and splinted. There is insufficient- information to extrapolate these results to the maxilla and non-splinted implants.
Daniel
D
Rodrigo
Gustavo
G
Cabello
Mariano
M
Herrero
David
D
Gonzalez
Federico
F
Herrero
Luis
L
Aracil
Sergio
S
Morante
Helena
H
Rebelo
Gabriel
G
Villaverde
Andrés
A
García
Ángel
Á
Alonso
Manuel
M
Barrachina
Juan
J
Blanco
Ricardo Faría
RF
Almeida
D001863:Bone Screws; D059605:Dental Implant-Abutment Design; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D017268:Dental Prosthesis Retention / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible; D008437:Maxilla; D016348:Osseointegration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013499:Surface Properties