Comparison of Osteoimmunological and Microbiological Parameters of Extra Short and Longer Implants Loaded in the Posterior Mandible: A Split Mouth Randomized Clinical Study

This study aimed to evaluate the levels of TNF-α, PGE₂, RANKL, RANK, OPG, the markers of periimplant bone loss in peri-implant crevicular fluid obtained around standard and extra short implants. Moreover, the levels of putative oral pathogens were investigated in the submucosal biofilm samples.

The implants were divided into two groups according to their lengths: standard (≥8 mm) and extra short (4 mm). A total of 60 implants were researched in 30 patients. The probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), presence of bleeding on probing (BOP), 3-year survival rate (CSR), and bone loss (BL) were measured.

No statistically significant difference was found in the values of PD, CAL, BOP, CSR, and BL between the groups (P> 0.05). Total amounts of PGE₂, TNF-α, RANKL, RANK, OPG, and RANKL/OPG were not statistically significantly different between the groups (P> 0.05). The abundance of F. nucleatum, T. forsythia, P. intermedia, P. gingivalis, S. oralis and T. denticola was compared between the groups and the results were not statistically significant (P> 0.05).

The results of this study suggested that PGE₂, TNF-α, RANKL, RANK, OPG, and RANKL/OPG in PICF, as well as microbiological parameters in submucosal biofilms, were similar between standard (≥8 mm) and extra short (4 mm) implants. Therefore, the implant length does not seem to influence the bone loss, levels of osteoimmunological and microbiological markers in the peri-implant tissues and survival rates.