STABILITY MEASUREMENTS OF CRANIOFACIAL IMPLANTS BY MEANS OF RESONANCEFREQUENCY-ANALYSIS - A CLINICAL PILOT-STUDY

Nineteen patients previously treated with 52 implants for anchorage of craniofacial prostheses were subjected to implant stability measureme nts by means of resonance frequency analysis (RFA), six months to 15 y ears after implant placement. The resonance frequency (RF) of a transd ucer attached to the implant abutment was measured by using a frequenc y response analyser, a personal computer (PC) and dedicated software. Statistically significant higher RF values were seen for implants in t he temporal bone as compared to implants in the nose and periorbital r egions. There was a positive correlation with time since implant place ment for the period from six months up to seven years. It was conclude d that the preliminary results suggest that implant stability increase s with time and that implants in temporal bone are more stable than im plants in the bone in the nose and periorbital regions, probably refle cting differences in bone density.