Inter-implant distance and buccal bone thickness for a novel implant design: a preclinical study

Abstract

Objectives: This study assessed bone height between novel tapered implants at different inter-implant thread peak (TP) distances, and the impact of TP distance from outer buccal bone (BB) on marginal bone levels (MBL). Materials and Methods: Fully tapered implants with 0.5-mm thread depth and TP diameter 1 mm wider than the shoulder diameter were placed in healed ridges of minipigs. On one side, four implants were placed with inter-implant TP distances of 1, 2, or 3 mm corresponding to inter-implant implant shoulder distances of 2, 3, and 4 mm respectively. Three implants were placed on the other side with TP distances to outer BB of > 1 mm, 0.5–1 mm, or < 0.5 mm. After 12 weeks, (a) first b..