Success rates of osseointegration for implants placed under sterile versus clean conditions

A retrospective analysis was done comparing the success rate of osseointegration at stage 2 of implants placed under "sterile" versus "clean" conditions. "Sterile" surgery took place in an operating room setting with strict sterile protocol. "Clean" surgery took place in a clinic setting with the critical factor that nothing touched the surface of the implant until it contacted the prepared bone site. A total of 273 implants in 61 cases were placed under sterile conditions with a fixture success rate of 98.9% and a case success rate of 95.1%; 113 implants were placed under clean conditions in 31 cases with a fixture and case success rate of 98.2% and 93.5%, respectively as judged clinically at stage 2. The difference in the success rates was not statistically significant. The results of this analysis indicate that implant surgery can be performed under both "sterile" and "clean" conditions to achieve the same high rate of clinical osseointegration.