Influence of Abutment Surface Treatments on Screw Loosening of Morse Taper Implants.

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of blasting and bonding on abutment surface to prevent screw loosening in Morse taper connections. Twenty-eight Morse taper connection implants were divided into 4 groups: no treatment (G1), blasting (G2), bonding (G3), and blasting + bonding (G4). In groups G2 and G4, the abutments were blasted with aluminum oxide granules; in groups G3 and G4, the conical abutment region was covered with a thin layer of bond thread lock agent. In all implants, the abutment-implant joint was tightened at a torque of 35 Ncm. The specimens were submitted to the mechanical cycling, under an oblique load for 1.0 × 10 cycles. The torque was measured with a digital torque meter. Data were analyzed by the t test, one-way analysis of variance, and Tukey tests (95%). The loosening strength was significantly higher in group G4 (35.83 ± 3.02 Ncm). There was no significant difference among groups G1 (25.86 ± 1.96 Ncm), G2 (25.86 ± 3.29 Ncm), and G3 (26.14 ± 2.12 Ncm). The association of blasting and bonding on abutment surface can be used to prevent screw loosening in Morse taper implants.