Early loading of endosseous implants in the augmented maxilla: a 1-year prospective study

In 10 patients, 68 endosseous implants were inserted in the augmented edentulous maxilla using a one-stage implant placement technique. Three months before implant insertion, the width and height of the alveolar crest were augmented with autologous bone grafts from the iliac crest. In all cases, the resulting bone volume was sufficient for implant insertion. According to an early loading protocol, the implant-supported overdenture was fabricated 2 months after insertion of the implants. Evaluation was performed according to a standardised protocol immediately and 1 year after fabrication of the prosthetic construction. The protocol included assessment of both clinical (bleeding score, pocket depth, implant mobility) and radiographic (marginal bone level on standardised radiographs) parameters. Three implants in two patients in the upper jaw were lost (survival rate: 95.6%). The peri-implant tissues had a healthy appearance and bone loss was minimal. Overall, the patients were very satisfied with the prosthetic construction. From this preliminary study, it is concluded that in selected cases, early loading of implants may develop into a predictable treatment modality after augmentation of the maxilla.