Immediately loaded screw implant retrieved after a 12-year loading period: a histologic and histomorphometric case report

Background Immediate loading of dental implants has shown promising results in man and experimental animals. It offers patients several advantages in terms of treatment cost and convenience, and eliminates the functional and psychological problems connected to dentures. The aim of the present study was the histological evaluation of the peri-implant tissues of a onepiece immediately loaded screw implant retrieved from a patient after a 12-year loading period. Conclusion Mineralized tissue was present at the interface of the implant. Bone-to-implant contact was 75% ±4%. The histological data showed that osseointegration was obtained in an immediately loaded one-piece screw implant inserted into the maxilla and that this osseointegration was successfully maintained over a long period (12 years). The bone response was not disturbed by stresses and strains transmitted at the interface under functional loading.