Effect of prosthetic superstructure accuracy on the osteointegrated implant bone interface.

Objective: This study evaluated the biologic result of forces induced by a misfitting prosthetic superstructure on implants placed in a New Zealand white rabbit tibia model.

Study Design: Nine rabbits had two dental implants placed in both right and left proximal tibias. After 6 weeks, one animal was sacrificed for baseline integration data, and the remaining animals had fitting or misfitting prosthetic superstructures attached to the implants for 12 weeks. Implants were evaluated clinically, radiographically, and histomorphometrically at the scanning electron microscopic level.

Results: No clinical, radiographic, or histomorphometric evidence exists of integration failure with implants subjected to superstructure strain, although bone remodeling is noted.

Conclusions: Given the limitations of sample size, animal model used, duration of prosthetic superstructure attachment, and loading confounders possible, the study of prosthetic framework misfit must be evaluated with another animal model, such as an intraoral primate model, to determine the relationship between clinical performance and histologic findings.