Multidirectional evaluation of dental implant stability during early osseointegration by using damping capacity analysis: a clinical prospective study

Abstract

The AnyCheck measures implant stability test (IST) values using damping capacity analysis. This prospective clinical study evaluated changes in implant stability from placement to the eighth week of healing, determined whether these changes differed between measurement directions, and investigated the influence of sex, implant diameter, and implant length on primary and secondary stability. Twenty patients (12 females and 8 males; mean age 54.1 ± 12.69 years) requiring implant rehabilitation in the posterior mandible were included; 56 implants were placed with a standardized protocol. IST values were recorded from the mesial, distal, buccal, and lingual aspects immediately after implant placement and after an 8-week healing period. Standardized periapical radiographs at both time points assessed mesial and distal marginal bone levels. Generalized estimating equation models accounting for within-patient clustering were used, and a single model including measurement direction, time, and their interaction tested whether the change in IST differed between directions. The implant survival rate was 100% at the 8-week follow-up, and no radiographically detectable mesial or distal marginal bone-level changes were observed. IST values were numerically higher at 8 weeks in all four directions, but the increase was not uniform (Direction × Time interaction, p  = 0.012), the smallest change being observed distally. Implant diameter showed significant overall associations with primary mesial, distal, and lingual stability ( p  < 0.05), with implants ≤ 4 mm showing higher values; after Holm adjustment, significant pairwise differences remained only mesially and distally. Implant length was not associated with stability ( p  > 0.05). No sex-related differences were observed in primary stability, whereas secondary stability was higher in males only in the buccal direction ( p  < 0.05). Implant stability increased during early healing, and this increase was not uniform across measurement directions, supporting assessment from multiple aspects. Implant diameter influenced only selected primary stability measurements, implant length was not associated with stability, and the sex-related difference was observed only in buccal secondary stability. AnyCheck may be used as an adjunctive device for monitoring changes in implant stability during early healing; however, IST values should not be interpreted as direct evidence of osseointegration.