Performance of short implants in partial restorations: 3-year follow-up of Osseotite implants.

Short-length implants should be at a performance disadvantage because of the more limited surface area with which to resist occlusal forces. Nevertheless, anecdotal observations find many short implants performing well in different restorative conditions. This retrospective, multicenter study seeks to compare formally implant performance based on length. The success of 7 and 8.5-mm Osseotite implants (Implant Innovations, Inc., Palm Beach Gardens, FL) was determined as: absence of mobility; no persistent and/or irreversible signs or symptoms of pain, infection, paresthesia, or violation of the mandibular canal; no evidence of peri-implant radiolucency; and no progressive crestal bone loss. Implant location, restoration type, bone density, and smoking status of the patients were recorded. A total of 188 patients received 311 short Osseotite implants that were placed mostly in soft bone and supported 216 partially edentulous cases in the maxilla or mandible. Most restorations (95.2%) are short-span fixed partial dentures placed in the posterior sextants. During 3 years of follow-up, 13 implants failed, yielding a cumulative success rate of 95.8%. In 9 of these cases, failure occurred before prosthetic loading, and in 4, the patient was a smoker. The overall success rate compares favorably with the available literature for the performance of implants in general, and short implants in particular.