Evaluation of the effects of geometric design and surface properties of dental implants on marginal bone loss and bone quality by fractal analysis

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of surface properties and geometric design on marginal bone loss in dental implants and to compare the parallelism of bone loss and fractal analysis results. Methods: A total of 378 implants from 114 patients were evaluated in this study using panoramic and periapical radiographs. Implants were categorized into 19 subgroups according to the jaw where they were placed, length, diameter, surface preparation, type of prosthetic superstructure, and neck design. Radiological evaluations were conducted based on radiographs obtained at the time of implant placement and 3 months after prosthetic loading. After obtaining measurements of marginal bone loss and fractal analysis data, the significance of differences between groups was statistically evaluated. Results: Marginal bone loss was significantly higher in the maxilla compared to the mandible when considering the changes between jaws (p < 0.05). Analysis of variations among prosthetic superstructures revealed that implant-supported removable prostheses had the highest marginal bone loss (p < 0.05). Additionally, marginal bone loss was significantly lower in implants with coronal microthreads not exceeding 1 mm compared to those exceeding 1 mm (p < 0.05). Also the increase in fractal values was significantly higher in implants with coronal microthreads 1 mm compared to 3 mm. Conslusion: This study demonstrates that the geometric design of dental implants may have an impact on marginal bone loss, which is a determinant of long-term success. However, considering that marginal bone loss has a multifactorial etiology, further studies are needed to identify other potential factors contributing to marginal bone loss.