A classification system to measure the implant-abutment microgap

A large microgap at the implant-abutment interface has been reported to result in adverse effects, including screw loosening, abutment rotation, and abutment fracture. However, a standardized classification of the implant-abutment interface has not been established. The purposes of this investigation were (1) to propose a classification system based on the horizontal and vertical microgap of the implant-abutment interface and (2) to compare the implant-abutment interface in 4 groups of abutments.

Forty-eight randomly selected external hexagonal implants were paired with (1) machined titanium abutments, (2) premachined palladium abutments cast-on with palladium alloy, (3) plastic burnout abutments cast with nickel chromium alloy, and (4) plastic burnout abutments cast with cobalt chromium alloy. A comparison of the horizontal and vertical microgaps at the implant-abutment interface was completed at 8 locations on each specimen to the nearest micrometer using an optical microscope with a magnification of 150x. Group means and significant differences between groups were determined by analysis of variance and Tukey multiple-comparisons post-hoc analysis. P < .05 was the threshold for statistical significance.

There was no significant difference between groups with respect to vertical misfit. For horizontal misfit, machined titanium abutments presented significantly higher horizontal misfit compared to other groups (P < .001). Premachined cast-on abutments had significantly higher horizontal misfit than cast NiCr abutments (P < .001). In the proposed classification system, 23% of all sites measured at the implant-abutment interface had an ideal relationship, 34% had a horizontal discrepancy only, 4% had a vertical discrepancy only, and 39% had both vertical and horizontal discrepancies.

The proposed implant-abutment classification system demonstrated a way to characterize and compare the microgap at the implant-abutment interface.