A randomized controlled clinical trial assessing initial crestal bone remodeling of implants with a different surface...

The aim of current split-mouth study is to compare crestal bone loss of hybrid with moderately rough implants in patients with a bar-supported mandibular overdenture.

Fully edentulous patients were enrolled for treatment with implant-supported overdentures. Each patient received two implants of which one moderately rough (Sa: 1.3 μm) and one hybrid surface implant (moderately rough implant body [Sa: 1.3 μm] and a minimally rough implant neck [Sa: 0.9 μm]). Beside the difference in implant surface the two implants are identical. After 3 and 12 months, peri-apical radiographs were taken to assess crestal bone levels and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for pairwise comparison.

Forty-two implants were placed in 21 patients and no failures occurred after 1 year. An overall mean crestal bone loss of 0.40 mm (SD: 0.76; range: 0-3.93) and 0.35 mm (SD: 0.59; range: 0-2.56) was registered after a mean follow-up of 3.4 and 15.8 months. There was no statistical significant difference in crestal bone loss between the different implant surfaces or between the different time intervals.

From this randomized controlled trial, it can be concluded that hybrid surface implants may be a viable alternative for implant treatment in the edentulous mandible.