Measurement of dental implant stability by resonance frequency analysis: A review of the literature

Abstract

Dental implant treatment is an excellent option for prosthetic restoration that is associated with high success rates. Implant stability is essential for a good outcome. The clinical assessment of osseointegration is based on mechanical stability rather than histological criteria, considering primary stability (absence of mobility in bone bed after implant insertion) and secondary stability (bone formation and remodelling at implant-bone interface). The aim of this study was to review the literature on Resonance Frequency Analysis (RFA) as a method for measuring dental implant stability. An online search of various databases was conducted on experimental and clinical research published between 1996 and 2008. The studies reviewed demonstrate the usefulness of RFA as a non-invasive method to assess implant stability. Further research is required to determine whether this system is also capable of measuring the degree of dental implant osseointegration.

Factors Influencing Primary Dental Implant Stability Remain Unclear

“…Such variables include the following: (1) bone quality, (2) implant site (anatomic position), (3) age, (4) gender, (5) smoking status, (6) periodontal status, (7) implant diameter, (8) implant length, and (9) implant design. 5 In addition to ISQ assessment, insertion torque measurements have been used to estimate primary implant stability with some success. Insertion torque measures have also revealed differences in primary implant stability with age, gender, and anatomic location.…”

Resonance Frequency Analysis of Sinus Augmentation by Osteotome Sinus Floor Elevation and Lateral Window Technique

“…The use of RFA as a reproducible, noninvasive test of implant stability has been well supported. [19][20][21][22] Moreover, as a metric of stiffness at the interface between the bone and the implant, RFA can serve a diagnostic purpose at placement, during healing, and at subsequent follow-up as the transformation from mechanical stability to biological stability occurs with osseointegration. 23 The purpose of this retrospective clinical study was to use RFA to quantitatively compare the stability of implants placed in the atrophic posterior maxilla using 3 sinus augmentation techniques: 1) OSFE, 2) 1-step LWT, and 3) 2-step LWT.…”

Peri-implant bone mechanobiology. Review of the literature

“…There have been recent reports on the use of non-invasive methods to avoid this possible alteration, including "virtual biopsies" using high-resolution 3-D imaging systems, (17). Other authors have used Resonance Frequency Analysis (RFA) values to determine the effects of immediateearly loading (18). …”