Can Bone Compaction Improve Primary Implant Stability? An In Vitro Comparative Study with Osseodensification Technique

Abstract

Background: This study aims to analyze bone compaction and osseodensification techniques and to investigate how cancellous bone compaction could influence primary implant stability (PS). Methods: Two different surgical protocols (bone compactors—BC; osseodensification drills—OD) were compared by placing 20 implants into 20 fresh pig ribs for each procedure. Peak insertion torque (PIT) and peak removal torque (PRT) were investigated using an MGT-12 digital torque gauge, and implant stability quotient (ISQ) was analyzed using an Osstell® Beacon device. Results: Analysis of our data (T-test p < 0.05) evidenced no statistically significant difference between BC and OD in terms of PIT (p = 0.33) or ISQ (p = 0.97). The comparison of PRT values showed a statistically significant difference between BC and OD protocols (p = 0.009). Conclusions: Cancellous bone compaction seems to improve PS, preserving a significant amount of bone and evenly spreading trabeculae on the entire implant site. While the PIT and ISQ values obtained are similar, the PRT values suggest different physical responses from the surrounding bone tissue. Nevertheless, a larger sample and further in vivo studies are necessary to validate the usefulness of BC protocol in several clinical settings.