Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2025
Real-Time Dynamic Navigation System for the Precise Quad-Zygomatic Implant Placement in a Patient with a Severely Atrophic Maxilla
Published on: October 18, 2021
Removable partial dentures assisted by short implants: A 34-month randomized controlled clinical trial
Mahshid Torabi Ardakani1, Shalom I Benzaquen1, Elli Anna Kotsailidi2
1Resident, Department of Prosthodontics, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
Statement Of Problem:
Implant-assisted removable partial dentures (IARPDs) have been used to treat partially edentulous patients, yet limited information is available on the relationship between prosthetic complications and patient satisfaction as compared with conventional removable partial dentures (RPDs).
Purpose:
The purpose of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to measure the satisfaction of patients who received either conventional or RPDs assisted by short implants and to assess and compare the incidence and type of prosthetic complications after a mean observational period of 34 months.
Material And Methods:
Thirty-one healthy and bilaterally edentulous (Kennedy Class I) individuals who were seeking treatment and were candidates for posterior implant placement, were randomly allocated to either the conventional removable partial denture (CRPD) or the short implant-assisted removable partial denture (IARPD) groups. CRPDs following the same fabrication procedures were delivered to all participants irrespective of the group assignment,. One month after delivery, each participant from the IARPD group received 2 short implants. Upon osseointegration, the existing prostheses were converted to IARPDs with the use of LOCATOR attachments. The chi-squared test, log-rank test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis (α=.05).
Results:
Data were collected from 31 participants: 18 in the CRPD and 13 in the IARPD group. The results showed that prosthetic complications occurred in both CRPD and IARPD groups. The chi-squared test showed no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups with regard to the incidence of prosthetic complications (P=.474). The log-rank test used for survival rate and complications showed no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P=.903). The Mann-Whitney U test showed no statistically significant difference in patient satisfaction between the 2 groups (P=.938).
Conclusions:
No statistically significant difference in the incidence and type of prosthetic complications was observed between conventional and RPDs assisted by short implants after a mean observation period of 34 months.
