Über den Autor
Co-Autoren
Ferrari M, Bragger U
A prospective clinical cohort study analysing single-unit implant crowns after 3 years of loading: Introduction of a novel Functional Implant Prosthodontic Score (FIPS)
Thema
Background
Several clinical indices have been developed to assess the esthetic appearance of implant crowns. However, no functionally based score for implant crowns has been established yet.
Aim
The aim of this prospective clinical cohort study was to validate implant crowns with a novel Functional Implant Prosthodontic Score (FIPS).
Material & methods
Twenty patients were restored with cement-retained implant crowns in posterior sites and annually followed up for three years. FIPS was applied for the objective outcome assessment including clinical and radiographic examinations. FIPS is defined by five variables: (1) interproximal, (2) occlusion, (3) design, (4) mucosa, and (5) bone (Fig. 1, Fig. 2). A scoring scheme of 0-1-2 is assigned for each variable, resulting in a maximum score of 10 (5 x 2) per implant restoration (Tab. 1). Patient satisfaction was supplementary analysed with a shortcut questionnaire including a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranged from „unsatisfied“ to „fully satisfied“ (0-100). The patients could separately mark on calibrated horizontal 0-10 cm lines expressing their personal degree of satisfaction. A linear regression analysis was performed for the detection of significant correlations between the total FIPS scores and the subjective results of the patients’ VAS response. A level of significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results
All implants and corresponding crowns showed survival rates of 100% without any biological or technical complications after three years of loading. The mean total FIPS score was 7.8 ± 1.5 (range: 6-10). The variable bone revealed the highest scores (2.0 ± 0.0; range: 2-2), followed by occlusion (1.9 ± 0.1; range: 1-2). Mean scores for design (1.2 ± 0.6; range: 0-2), mucosa (1.3 ± 0.7; range: 0-2), and interproximal (1.4 ± 0.4; range: 1-2) were more challenging to satisfy. The patients expressed a high level of functional satisfaction (84.1 ± 9.5; range: 68-100). A significant correlation was found between FIPS and the patients’ subjective perception with a coefficient of 0.88 (p < 0.0001; Fig. 3).
Zusammenfassung:
The findings of the clinical trial indicated the potential of FIPS as an objective and reliable instrument in assessing implant success. FIPS can be considered as a supportive tool to validate a satisfactory outcome as perceived by patients, to identify possible risks for failure, and to compare outcomes of follow-up observations.