Clinical experiences with a new maintenance-free shock absorbing element in titanium implants

Until now, the biokinetic elements of one implant system were to be substituted once a year in order to prevent complications of fractures of fixation screws. In this article a new implant with a maintenance-free shock absorbing element was examined. During the last 6 years, 384 dental implants with a biokinetic element (mobile-implant, SIS Inc., Klagenfurt, Austria) were placed in 138 patients. The implants were loaded with prosthetic superstructures 4 months after implantation. For comparison, 160 patients were treated with 494 conventional titanium implants of the same design without biokinetic elements. All patients were examined radiologically and clinically. Periimplant probing depth, periimplant bleeding, Periotest-values (Siemens, Bensheim, Germany) at the time of prosthetic treatment and 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 months after implant loading were registered. Implantation was successful in 97.2% of mobile-implants and 98% of conventional implants. There was a low degree of sulcus bleeding and high degree of physiological periimplant probing depths in both patients groups. In mobile-implants, the Periotest-values were positive and similar to that of the control. There was no difference between the values in the maxilla and mandible. In the group with conventional implants, the Periotest-values were negative and showed a low degree of negativity during the first 12 months after implant loading. Periotest-values in the upper jaw were higher than in the lower jaw. There was a lower degree of periimplant bone loss after implant loading in patients with mobile-implants. In conclusion, mobile-implants demonstrate the positive effects of implants with shock absorbing elements. They are maintenance free.