Assessment of in vitro dental implant primary stability using an ultrasonic method.

Dental implants are used for oral rehabilitation. However, there remain risks of failure that depend on the implant stability. The objective of this study is to investigate whether quantitative ultrasound technique can be used to assess the amount of bone in contact with dental implants. Ten implants are first inserted in the bone samples. The 10 MHz ultrasonic response of each implant is measured using a dedicated device and an indicator I is derived based on the amplitude of the signal. Then, the implant is unscrewed by 2 pi radians and the measurement is realized again. A statistical analysis of variance was carried out and revealed a significant effect of the amount of bone in contact with the implant on the values of I (p value < 10(-)(5)). The results indicates the feasibility of quantitative ultrasound techniques to assess implant primary stability in vitro.