In vitro evaluation of prosthesis-level implant stability using 'BracketPeg'.

Purpose: A small magnetic peg, named "BracketPeg," has been developed as an attachment magnet for implant prostheses. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of measuring implant stability at the prosthesis level, evaluate the reliability and accuracy of BracketPeg, and examine the consistency of measurements obtained using other devices for damping capacity assessment (DCA) and resonance frequency analysis (RFA).

Methods: Forty implants were installed into artificial bone blocks, with each block representing 1 of 4 different diameters (3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.5 mm; 10 implants per diameter). Each implant was paired with a customized zirconia prosthesis that matched the implant diameter. Implant stability was measured at both the fixture and prosthesis levels using Anycheck™ (Neobiotech) for DCA and Osstell™ Beacon (W&H) and ChecQ™ (Dentis) for RFA. To obtain prosthesis-level measurements using RFA devices, BracketPeg was attached to the coronal, middle, and apical thirds of the prosthesis to evaluate implant stability.

Results: The implant stability quotient (ISQ) was significantly lower at the prosthesis level than at the fixture level (P<0.001), reflecting the impact of the increased mass and size of the prosthesis. RFA values varied depending on the position of BracketPeg, with lower stability values observed at the coronal position than at the apical position. The 2 RFA devices demonstrated reasonable agreement between ISQ measurements, with a mean difference of -0.58 (95% confidence interval: ±0.31).

Conclusions: BracketPeg provides reliable and consistent implant stability measurements at the prosthesis level compared to other devices, making it a practical and feasible tool for the clinical evaluation of implants.