Wiley, Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research, 2(9), p. 65-70, 2007
DOI: 10.1111/j.1708-8208.2007.00054.x
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Background: A recently introduced implant, the NobelDirect (Nobel Biocare AB, Göteborg, Sweden), has previously been documented with substantial bone resorption in a large number of operated cases.PurposeL The aim of this study was to evaluate the failure rate of NobelDirect implants in a retrospective multicenter survey.Materials and Methods: A total of 550 NobelDirect implants consecutively placed in over 269 patients at 18 centers were evaluated with regard to failure rate after an average follow-up of about 1 year.Results: The overall failure percentage was 10.9% (59 failures). The 58 implants not loaded directly showed only one failure (1.7%) versus 58 failures (11.8%) of those implants that were loaded directly. A chemical x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of an implant from the original batch showed up to 3.5% silicon at parts of the implants. A retrieval analysis of one implant removed at 2 years after placement demonstrated bone resorption down to the level of the fifth thread.Conclusions: It is concluded that the NobelDirect implant, if placed with a punch procedure, ground down in situ, and loaded directly, shows an unusually high failure rate at 1 year.