An In Vitro Evaluation, on Polyurethane Foam Sheets, of the Insertion Torque (IT) Values, Pull-Out Torque Values, and Resonance Frequency Analysis (RFA) of NanoShort Dental Implants

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate, in polyurethane foam sheets, the primary implant stability of a NanoShort implant compared to a self-condenser implant and to a standard, conventional implant. Materials and Methods: Three implant designs were evaluated in the present in vitro investigation: The Test implant (NanoShort), the Control A implant (self-condenser), and the Control B implant (standard design). The study was conducted by comparing the insertion torque values, the pull-out strength values, and the resonance frequency analysis (RFA) values of the Test and Control A and B implants inserted in polyurethane foam models of different thicknesses and densities. The foam densities were 10, 20, and 30 pounds per cubic foot (pcf). Three thicknesses of polyurethane foams (1, 2, 3 mm) were evaluated for a total of 640 experimental sites. Results: The Pearson correlation showed a moderate/strong correlation between all study groups (r > 0.3) for insertion torque and pull-out strength levels. Increased stability of the Test implants was obtained in 3 mm polyurethane sheets. The 2.5 and 3.5 mm Test implants presented good stability in 3 mm polyurethane sheets of 20–30 pcf densities. The Control implants showed better results compared to the Test implants in 1, 2, and 3 mm polyurethane sheets with densities of 10, 20, and 30 pcf. Conclusions: The NanoShort dental implant evaluated in this in vitro study showed a high level of stability in some experimental conditions, and could represent a useful tool, especially in the posterior mandible, as an alternative to vertical augmentation procedures.