Long-term performance of Osseotite implants: a 6-year clinical follow-up.

In this prospective, multicenter study, 147 Osseotite implants were placed in 75 patients (32 men and 43 women with a mean age of 54 years) using a conventional two-stage surgical protocol with 3 months of healing time in the mandible and 6 months in the maxilla. Of the 147 implants, 69% were inserted in posterior sites and 64% were short implants of 10 mm or less. From the time of implant insertion to second-stage surgery, 5.1 months (+/- 2.4 months) elapsed. Restorative treatments included 25 single-tooth replacements (28.4%), 58 short span fixed bridges (65.9%), 1 full-arch reconstruction (1.1%), and 4 overdentures (4.5%). The mean time from implant placement to final recall was 74.1 months (+/- 8.9 months). At second-stage surgery and at 6-month and annual follow-up examinations, implants were evaluated for mobility, peri-implant radiolucency, gingival health, signs and symptoms of infection, neuropathies, paresthesia, and crestal bone levels. A 3-year interim report identified 5 implant failures, 4 of which occurred as a clustering phenomenon in a single, medically compromised patient. Using the life table analysis method, the cumulative implant success rate was calculated at 96.6%. The 3-year interim report indicates that the implants developed an extended, functional osseous state that remained stable for more than 6 years.