Primary stability and osseointegration: preliminary clinical results with a tapered diminishing-thread implant.

Due to their success and predictability, osseointegrated implants are used with increasing frequency for the prosthetic restoration of edentulous patients. Analysis of implant failures, however, enables clinicians to improve the clinical results achieved with this modality. While the literature discusses varying etiological factors (e.g., poor surgical technique, patient immune factors, insufficient bone quality or quantity), this article addresses primary stability as a predicator of implant success. The article also demonstrates the use of an anatomically shaped implant system that may improve primary stability in common clinical scenarios.