Improvement in the Initial Implant Stability Quotient Through Use of a Modified Surgical Technique

To ensure similar primary implant stability measured by resonance frequency analysis (RFA) could be obtained in different jawbone densities by using a specific surgical drilling protocol and, to correlate those RFA measurements with factors related to the implant design, width, and length, we are performed a 1-year prospective clinical study was carried out using 27 subjects. A total of 67 hydrophilic titanium implants were placed using a standard 2-stage implant placement protocol. The bone type at each implant site was determined by evaluation of a preoperative, high-resolution cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) scan. A modified drilling protocol was used in softer bone (types 2, 3, and 4) that allowed for greater implant thread contact with the surrounding bone. The implant stability quotient (ISQ) was measured at 4 different times during the study: initially it was determined immediately after implant placement, then again at stage 2 uncovering surgery, then at 6 months' postplacement and, and finally at 1 year postplacement. Data collected immediately after implant surgery demonstrated a high correlation (R² = .99) between the ISQ and bone type classification. An overall trend toward a higher ISQ was found over the 1-year study period for all types of bone. Implants remained clinically and radiographically stable during the 1-year study period. Our data allow conclude that the primary stability of 2-staged loaded implants placed in different bone types can be optimized by applying this surgical drilling protocol during the implant placement. The ISQ method was found to be a reliable predictor of implant stability.