A prospective human clinical trial of Endopore dental implants in restoring the partially edentulous maxilla using fixed prostheses.

This is the first report of a group of 50 partially edentulous patients who received a total of 151 Endopore dental implants in the maxilla. A mean implant length of 8.7 mm was used, and 76.8% of implants were placed in the posterior maxilla. At re-entry, all implants appeared to be osseointegrated and were used to support fixed prostheses. Approximately half of the crowns (57%) in these prostheses were splinted to one another, while the remainder (43%) were not. At the time of this report, the mean functional time was 34.6 months and the cumulative survival rate was 97.3% (4 implants had failed). Analysis of carefully standardized sequential radiographs indicated no significant changes in mean crestal bone levels between baseline and any of the examination times (after 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years in function). There were no detectable correlations between crestal bone loss and the factors implant length (7, 9, or 12 mm); implant diameter (3.5, 4.1, or 5.0 mm); implant position anteriorly or posteriorly in the maxilla; or whether or not the implant-supported crowns were splinted.