Immediate loading of osseotite implants: A case report and histologic analysis after 4 months of occlusal loading

A growing number of clinical reports show that early and immediate loading of endosseous implants may lead to predictable osseointegration; however, t hese studies provide mostly short- to mid-term results based only on clinic al mobility and radiographic observation. Other methods are needed to detec t the possible presence of a thin fibrous interposition of tissue that coul d increase in the course of time and lead to clinical mobility A histologic evaluation was performed on two immediately loaded Osseotite implants retr ieved after 4 months of function from one patient. He had received a total of 12 implants in the mandible, of which six were immediately loaded and si x were left to heal in a submerged way. Clinical and histologic osseointegr ation was consistently achieved for both of the retrieved immediately loade d implants, Osteogenesis and bone remodeling on the Osseotite surface were not impeded by immediate loading as shown by histomorphometric evaluation, which revealed high levels of bone-to-implant contact ranging from 78% to 8 5%. This immediate loading protocol involving bilateral splinting of six Os seotite implants in the mandible proved to be successful after 4 months of loading. Further long-term clinical and histologic studies are needed befor e introducing this immediate loading protocol as a routine procedure in imp lant therapy.