title: Early loading of splinted implants in the posterior mandible: a prospective multicentre case series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the 12-months clinical and radiological outcomes with the OsseoSpeed(™) TX implant using an early loading protocol in patients with missing teeth in the posterior mandible.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five subjects, with Kennedy class I or II edentulism in the mandible, were enrolled at three centres in China. Two or three implants were placed in one edentulous region using a one-stage procedure. Patients received a screw-retained splinted fixed permanent restoration in one edentulous region 6-8 weeks after surgery. Follow-up took place at 6 and 12 months after loading. Marginal bone level alteration, implant survival and clinical findings were assessed using descriptive statistics. The data were analysed on a patient level, implying that the mean overall implants by patient was used as the statistical unit. The data from the three centres were pooled in the statistical analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 107 implants were inserted in 45 patients. Twelve months after loading, the implant survival rate was 100%, with a mean (± std) marginal bone gain of 0.08 ± 0.411 mm and healthy soft tissue status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early loading of splinted OsseoSpeed(™) TX implants was an effective and safe treatment for partial edentulism of the posterior mandible. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ON CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT01346683.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jianfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, The Ninth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qingfeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jianzhang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, The Ninth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Songmei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, The Ninth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xinquan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.|National Engineering Lab for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yongsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000601:surgery; D002681:China; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous; D015921:Dental Implants; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants
keywords: dental implants; early loading; marginal bone level; one-stage surgery; splinted implants