Abstracts


A study of 589 consecutive implants supporting complete fixed prostheses. Part II: Prosthetic aspects

I. Naert, D.D.S., Ph.D., M.Quirynen, D.D.S., Ph.D. Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium (JPD; 68 : 949-56, 1992)

   In 91 consecutive edentulous patients, 103 jaws were treated with complete fixed prostheses supported by Branemark Implants (n= 589). As a result of fixture loss in each of two patients (two jaws), an overdenture instead of a fixed prosthesis was installed. For one patient (two jaws), data were not available after abutment connection. At the end the seventh year, the cumulative failure rates for the remaining 99 prostheses reached 4.9% for mandibles and 10.1% for maxillae. After loading, 12 fixtures showed signs of monintegration, but only one patient had to revert to complete dentures. Neither the fixtures location nor the cantilever length revealed a significant difference in marginal bone loss around the supporting fixtures. Patients with fixture-supported fixed prostheses in both jaws showed significantly more marginal bone loss than did those with only one fixed prosthesis opposed by either natural dentition (50%) or a complete denture (50%). Component complications were limited to fixture fracture (3/564), abutment screw fracture (5/564), and gold screw fracture (7/564). The predictability of Branemark implants in the treatment of completely edentulous jaws is confirmed.