Bisphosphonate coating might improve fixation of dental implants in the maxilla: a pilot study

This pilot study evaluates the clinical stability of bisphosphonate-coated dental implants placed using a two-stage surgical procedure in five patients. Each patient received seven regular Brånemark implants, one of which was coated with bisphosphonate in a fibrinogen matrix. The coated implant was inserted where the bone was expected to have the least favourable quality. The level of the marginal bone around each implant was measured by intraoral periapical radiographs and implant stability was recorded using resonance frequency measurements. Frequency values (ISQ) were obtained peroperatively before flap closure and after 6 months at abutment connection. At abutment connection the bisphosphonate-coated implants were removed en bloc in two patients for histological examination. An animal experiment had previously confirmed that gamma-sterilization did not reduce bioactivity of the bisphosphonate coating. In each patient, the bisphosphonate-coated implant showed the largest improvement in ISQ level of all implants. Their values at the start tended to be lower, and the absolute value at 6 months did not differ. No complications occurred with the coated implants. Histology showed no abnormalities. Improvement in ISQ values was an expected effect of the bisphosphonate coating, but could be due to the choice of insertion site. This finding warrants a randomized, blinded study.