Special Print Functional Evaluation of Screw

son et al. [10, 11], who found an inflammatory connec- tive-tissue infiltrate at this interface. The infiltrate itself is never in direct contact with the bone, but remains separated from it by a layer of healthy con- nective tissue approximately 1 mm in thickness. Several authors have reported that the use of abutments with a reduced diameter compared to the implant improves the stability of the peri-implant bone. However, most of the relevant studies have the status of case reports [13, 14]. Many longitudinal studies have been published that examine implant survival rates, but reports on the stability of soft and hard tissues cover only short observation periods. The objective of our study is to examine radiological changes in bone levels and the stability of the soft tissues and, hence, red/white aes- thetics. An additional objective is to assess patient satisfaction up to twelve months following implant placement and at 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months. This monocentric study is intended to be the basis for larger multicentre studies. The study design and timeline can be seen in Figure 1. The Camlog Screw-Line K series implants are avail- able in the familiar diameters and lengths (diame- ters: 3.3, 3.8, 4.3, 5.0, 6.0 mm; lengths: 9 (except 3.3 mm diameter), 11, 13, 16 mm). The present study only looks at implants 3.8, 4.3 and 5.0 mm in diameter and 9, 11 and 13 mm in length. The diameter of Camlog abut- EDI Product Studies 2 Case reports from a monocentric pilot study Functional Evaluation of Screw Implants in Combination with Reduced-diameter Abutments Dr Ralf Masur, Dr Andreas Kraus and Jan Märkle, Bad Wörishofen/Germany Since the summer of 2008, our implant centre has been conducting a monocentric pilot study to evaluate the function of Camlog Screw-Line K series implants. The most important innovation this product offers is the possibility to use reduced- diameter impression posts, healing caps and abutments (“platform switching”). The main objective of this study is to determine at which height the bone level can be retained relative to the implant shoulder. To this end, the study examines maxillary anterior (14 to 24) single-tooth gaps over the study period of twelve months. Additional objectives are the evaluation of the aesthetic results and patient satisfaction during this period and to follow the restored implants over 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months. Today’s enossal implants osseointegrate reliably. Implant-supported dentures, fixed or removable, restore the patients’masticatory function. Clinical lon- gitudinal studies have shown that these restorations can be stable over a period of 20 years or more [1]. In recent years, aesthetic considerations related to implant-based rehabilitations have increasingly gained weight in addition to the aspects of osseo- integration and the restoration of function. Placing implants in the aesthetic zone is a highly technique-sensitive procedure. But in addition to the surgeon’s skills, the design of the implant and the prosthetic components also play an important role for the final aesthetic outcome [2, 3]. These factors have an influence on the peri- implant bone, whose height and thickness deter- mines the stability of the peri-implant soft tissues and, hence, the aesthetic result. From the moment of first contact between the implant and the oral cavity, bone loss will ensue (and be visible radiologically), if the implant was placed subcrestally rather than transgingivally. Some authors believe that the bone loss is caused by mechanical loads [7, 8], while others believe the cause to be local inflammation of the peri-implant soft tissues, which in turn is caused by bacterial infiltration of the microgap at the implant- abutment interface [9]. That the latter explanation is the more probable one is also demonstrated by Erics-