A retrospective multicenter evaluation of the survival rate of osseointegrated fixtures supporting fixed partial prostheses in the treatment of partial edentulism

Abstract

Whether the excellent prognosis of the osseointegration technique also applies for the rehabilitation of partially edentulous jaws was investigated through a multicenter retrospective study. Six centers from three continents participated in the study, which included 133 fixtures in 38 patients. Forty fixtures were installed in the upper jaw and 93 in the lower jaw. The observation time varied between 6 and 36 months after prosthetic reconstruction. Clinical evaluation included mobility measurement of the restorations and control of infectious or neurologic complication. Radiologically the absence of radiolucency around the fixtures was checked by a single observer who also calculated the distance between the marginal bone and the top of the fixture. Fifty-eight percent of the prostheses were connected to natural teeth. The success rate for the individual fixtures in the upper and lower jaws was 87% and 92%, respectively. The most failures occurred before the prosthetic rehabilitation. The mean maximum distance between the margin of the bone and the fixture-abutment junction was 2.5 mm. Since only two of the 53 fixed prostheses were lost during the observation period, and since most fixture losses occurred before the prosthetic phase of the treatment, this study supports the concept that osseointegrated prostheses can also be applied to the rehabilitation of partial edentulism.