Pull-off resistance of a screwless implant-abutment connection and surface evaluation after cyclic loading

Abstract

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent cyclic load affects the screwless implant-abutment connection for Morse taper dental implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS 16 implants (SICvantage max) and 16 abutments (Swiss Cross) were used. The screwless implant-abutment connection was subjected to 10,000 cycles of axial loading with a maximum force of 120 N. For the pull-off testing, before and after the same cyclic loading, the required force for disconnecting the remaining 6 implant-abutment connections was measured. The surface of 10 abutments was examined using a scanning electron microscope 120× before and after loading. RESULTS The pull-off test showed a significant decrease in the vertical force required to pull the abutment from the implant with mean 229.39 N ± 18.23 before loading, and 204.30 N ± 13.51 after loading ( P <.01). Apart from the appearance of polished surface areas and slight signs of wear, no visible damages were found on the abutments. CONCLUSION The deformation on the polished abutment surface might represent the result of micro movements within the implant-abutment connection during loading. Although there was a decrease of the pull-off force values after cyclic loading, this might not have a notable effect on the clinical performance.

Marginal Bone Loss Compared in Internal and External Implant Connections: Retrospective Clinical Study at 6-Years Follow-Up

“…The abutment and implant can have equal diameters; alternatively, an abutment with a narrower diameter can be employed (platformswitching concept) [27,28]. As lateral forces are transmitted at the contact point between the implant and abutment, the risk of loosening and screw breakage is increased by generating micromovements that induce bone remodeling [29][30][31]. In addition, the presence of gaps on the implant-abutment surface can cause microleakage and bacterial accumulation, which can compromise the dental implant success [32][33][34][35][36][37].…”