Relationships between implant stability, image-based measures and nitric oxide levels

For monitoring of dental implants, practitioners seem to use simultaneously a variety of image-based and laboratory measurements. This longitudinal study was conducted to analyse the possible relationships between nitric oxide (NO) content of peri-implant sulcus fluid (PISF), marginal bone levels and implant stability in terms of resonance frequency analysis (RFA) at immediately (IL) and conventionally (CL) loaded mandibular molar dental implants from the same individuals. Dental implants were placed in 10 patients who had first molar loss bilaterally in the mandibular area. One site of the patient was determined as IL and the other site was CL. PISF samples, marginal bone level and RFA were taken for all dental implants during a 12-month follow-up period. For both types of loading, there were no significant changes at implant stability (ISQ) and PISF volume during the whole study period. The lowest total nitrite levels were observed at the end of 12 months. Marginal bone gain of 0.22 and 0.09 mm was noticed between 6 and 12 months in IL and CL groups, respectively. During the study period, negative correlation was noted between radiographic bone level and ISQ at both IL and CL sites; however, this correlation reached a significant level only at 6 months in CL implant group (P = 0.015). Although not significant, marginal bone loss seems to have a negative relationship with the implant stability values regardless of the mode of loading. NO metabolism around IL and CL dental implants may not demonstrate a significantly different pattern.