RCT comparing minimally with moderately rough implants. Part 1: clinical observations

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Periodontology
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Periodontitis poses a significant risk factor for dental implant success.
• Understanding the impact of implant surface characteristics on outcomes in periodontitis-susceptible patients is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the 1-year clinical outcomes of minimally rough (turned) and moderately rough (TiUnite) dental implant surfaces.
• To evaluate implant survival rates and peri-implant parameters in patients with a history of periodontitis.

Main Methods:

• A 1-year prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 85 implants (43 turned, 42 TiUnite) placed in periodontitis-susceptible patients.
• Two patient subgroups: fully edentulous (post-periodontitis extraction) and partially edentulous (history of periodontitis with residual pockets).
• Assessment of peri-implant parameters and radiographic bone loss up to 1 year post-loading.

Main Results:

• The TiUnite surface exhibited a 100% implant survival rate, while the turned surface had a 95% survival rate (two failures) during initial healing.
• No statistically significant differences in clinical parameters (e.g., probing depth, bleeding on probing) were observed between the two implant surfaces at 1 year.
• The partially edentulous subgroup experienced greater bone loss compared to the fully edentulous subgroup.

Conclusions:

• Moderately rough TiUnite implants offer comparable clinical outcomes to minimally rough turned implants at 1 year in periodontitis-susceptible patients.
• TiUnite implants demonstrated a potential advantage in early survival rates.
• Implant surface characteristics may be less critical than patient-related factors in this specific cohort.