A long-term follow-up study of non-submerged ITI implants in the treatment of totally edentulous jaws. Part I: Ten-year life table analysis of a prospective multicenter study with 1286 implants

In this prospective multicenter study, non-submerged ITI implants were followed in order to evaluate their long-term prognosis in fully edentulous jaws. A total of 1286 implants were inserted in 233 consecutive patients and, after a healing period of three to six months, the successfully integrated implants were restored with 163 overdentures and 95 fixed full-arch bridges. This prospective study not only calculated the 10-year cumulative survival and success rates for the 1286 implants by life table analysis, but also evaluated the actual survival and success rates for 498 implants after at least five years of functional loading. In addition, cumulative success rates were calculated for implant subgroups according to implant length and location. Additional analyses were performed to evaluate the estimated and actual survival and success rates of the implants in relation to various prosthetic rehabilitation techniques. The 10-year cumulative survival and success rates were 95.9% and 92.7%, respectively. The actual 5-year survival and success rates of the first 498 implants that were inserted were 97.7% and 95.0%, respectively. The analysis of implant subgroups showed slightly more favourable cumulative success rates for 12 mm long implants (93%), in comparison to 10 mm and 8 mm long implants (91.6% and 89.6%, respectively). The cumulative success rate for mandibular implants (approximately 94%) was also more favourable than that for maxillary implants (approximately 91%). Patients who were loaded with both maxillary and mandibular prostheses maintained success rates well above 90%; while only implants that were inserted to support maxillary overdentures that were retained by Dolder bars showed a success rate below 90%.