A 1-Year Prospective Clinical and Radiographic Study of Early-Loaded Bone Level Implants in the Posterior Maxilla.
OBJECTIVE
The primary aim of the study was to investigate a 1-year success rate of early-loaded bone level implants with a chemically modified sand-blasted, large grit, acid-etched surface (SLActive®, Institut Straumann AG, Basel, Switzerland) in the posterior maxilla. Secondary objectives included stability of these implants and peri-implant bone level.


METHODS
Bone level® implants (Institut Straumann AG) inserted into premolar and/or molar maxillary sites were loaded after 6 weeks of healing. The implants were monitored for 1 year using the following outcome measures: implant success, primary and secondary stability, and peri-implant bone level.


RESULTS
Out of 37 implants placed in 13 patients, 36 reached sufficient stability and were early loaded, whereas one underwent a delayed loading protocol. One-year success rate of early-loaded implants was 100%. Implant stability at baseline was 71.7 ± 5. 6 to be steadily increased thereafter up to 1 year (80.3 ± 3.3), except at 2 weeks when a nonsignificant decrease was noticed (71.9 ± 3.9). Continuous and significant bone loss was observed, reaching 0.4 ± 0.1 mm in the first postoperative year.


CONCLUSIONS
Bone level implants with the SLActive surface placed into low-density bone and loaded after 6 weeks of healing can predictably achieve and maintain a successful tissue integration.
Department of Oral Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Aleksa
A
Marković
Department of Oral Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Snježana
S
Čolić
Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Miodrag
M
Šćepanović
Department of Oral Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Tijana
T
Mišić
Department of Oral Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Ana
A
Ðinić
Department of Oral Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Dinesh Sharma
DS
Bhusal
D000328:Adult; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods*; D015921:Dental Implants; D017266:Dental Prosthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016348:Osseointegration; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011861:Radiography, Dental
D015921:Dental Implants
SLActive surface; bone level implants; early loading; low-density bone