Successful Loading of a Bone-Anchored Hearing Implant at 1 Week After Surgery

OBJECTIVE: To assess implant stability and safety of loading a bone-anchored implant 1 week after surgery. The patients were loaded at 1 week for fast rehabilitation and ease of logistics.

DESIGN: Single center, prospective cohort study of 25 adults with expected normal skin and bone quality.

INTERVENTION: Implantation of the Baha BA400 implant system using a linear incision technique without skin thinning. Abutment lengths of 8, 10, and 12 mm were used.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Implant stability quotient (ISQ) 0, 7, 14, 30 days and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.

RESULTS: Twenty-five patients were included, 23 could be followed up for 1 year. Mean ISQ was increasing throughout the observation period with no sign of adverse influence from the early loading. No implants were lost or clinically unstable. Individual ISQ curves fall in two categories-continually increasing ISQ or increasing ISQ with initial dip. ISQ for patients in the initial dip group eventually increased despite the early and continued loading.

CONCLUSION: Loading of the implant system under study 1 week after surgery have been successful for 25 patients with expected normal bone quality followed up for 1 year. No implants were lost. All individual ISQ were increasing throughout the study period. The early loading of the implant under study does not seem to influence the osseointegration.