Stability measurements of craniofacial implants by means of resonance frequency analysis. A clinical pilot study.

Nineteen patients previously treated with 52 implants for anchorage of craniofacial prostheses were subjected to implant stability measurements by means of resonance frequency analysis (RFA), six months to 15 years after implant placement. The resonance frequency (RF) of a transducer attached to the implant abutment was measured by using a frequency response analyser, a personal computer (PC) and dedicated software. Statistically significant higher RF values were seen for implants in the temporal bone as compared to implants in the nose and periorbital regions. There was a positive correlation with time since implant placement for the period from six months up to seven years. It was concluded that the preliminary results suggest that implant stability increases with time and that implants in temporal bone are more stable than implants in the bone in the nose and periorbital regions, probably reflecting differences in bone density.