Resonance Frequency Analysis of Thermal Acid-Etched, Hydrophilic Implants During First 3 Months of Healing and Osseointegration in an Early-Loading Protocol

Purpose: Safe loading of dental implants requires an optimal osseointegration. This osseointegration process during healing could be analyzed by resonance frequency analysis (RFA). The purpose of the study was to evaluate RFA changes during healing in splinted, early-loaded, thermal acid-etched, hydrophilic implants over time. Materials and Methods: Patients received a minimum of two implants: an implant with the prosthetic abutment connection at the crestal bone level (bone level) and one with the prosthetic abutment connection at a 2.5-mm supracrestal site (tissue level). Implant stability was measured at weeks 0, 2, 3, and 12 using the Osstell device. Results: Seventy-six implants were placed in 32 patients. By week 2, early-loaded tissue-level implants showed a significant drop in mean ± standard deviation (SD) implant stability quotient (ISQ) values of 2.2 ± 3.6 (P .001). Changes in ISQ values were significant between weeks 3 and 12 and also between weeks 0 and 12, with mean differences of 4.2 (P .001) and 2.8 (P .001), respectively. Early-loaded bonelevel implants show a significant change in ISQ of 2.3 ± 3.7 at week 2 (P .01) and -1.3 ± 4.7 at week 12 when compared to an ISQ value of 2.9 ± 4.9 at week 3 (P .01). Bone-level implants achieved higher ISQ values compared with tissue-level implants at weeks 0, 2, 3, and 12, with mean differences being 3.8 ± 5.5 (P .01), 3.8 ± 6.1 (P .01), 3.7 ± 6.7 (P .01), and 2.3 ± 5.8 (P .05), respectively. Conclusion: This study found a significant dip in ISQ values, with the lowest point seen at week 2. ISQ values remained higher in bone-level implants throughout the process of healing and osseointegration. Parole chiave: abutment connection, dental implant, osseointegration