ISSN:
1708-8240
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Loosening of implant abutment and prosthesis screws during functional loading is an industrywide phenomenon that is especially well documented with the external hexagon implant connection. Although numerous efforts to reduce or eliminate screw loosening have been attempted, the problem still persists, especially with implant restorations in the partially edentulous patient. In 1992, the spline was developed as an alternative to the external hexagon implant-abutment connection. A prospective multicenter study was begun in 1996 to evaluate the abutment and prosthesis screw joint stability of Spline® dental implants (Centerpulse Dental Division, Carlsbad, California) over 5 years of post-loading clinical follow-up. From October 1996 to December 2000, 73 partially edentulous patients were consecutively treated with 113 Spline implants placed in two private dental practices. Three patients with 1 implant each withdrew from the study for various reasons; of the remaining 110 implants in 70 patients who continued in the study, 82% (n = 90) were placed between 1997 and 1998. No cases of abutment or prosthesis screw loosening occurred with up to 54 months (mean = 38.95 mo; range, 3–54 mo; mode, 20 mo) of post-loading clinical follow-up. These interim findings of the ongoing study suggest that Spline dental implants may provide a stable prosthetic connection in partially edentulous cases during short-term clinical follow-up.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCEIf left untreated, implant-related screw loosening can potentially lead to bone loss, component breakage, and even implant failure. The results of this study suggest that the Spline implant may provide predictable screw joint stability in partially edentulous cases.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1708-8240.2002.tb00168.x
