Comparative analysis of novel damping capacity analysis devices for assessing implant stability in clinical practice

Abstract

Purpose: Implant stability testing is crucial for verifying osseointegration before prosthetic loading. Several methods have been developed to assess osseointegration. Among these, damping capacity analysis (DCA) devices offer a user-friendly and non-invasive approach. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy and reliability of newly available DCA devices in assessing dental implant stability. Methods: This study included 58 implants from 37 patients over a 1-month period. Three measurements per implant were obtained with healing abutments in place, following the manufacturers’ guidelines, using the DCA-P (Periotest M, Medizintechnik Gulden), DCA-A (Anycheck, Neobiotech), and DCA-T (The Trust, Dentium) devices. Factors such as healing abutment height, time since placement, bone grafting, fixture diameter, and fixture length were evaluated. Accuracy was assessed using DCA-P as the reference, and reproducibility was statistically analyzed using 3 measurements per implant. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS Statistics 23.0 (IBM Corp.). Results: All implants that passed the stability tests using DCA devices were restored with definitive prostheses and showed no signs of early failure. The DCA-A value demonstrated a very strong correlation with the DCA-P value (DCAV-P), whereas the DCA-T value exhibited only a moderate correlation with DCAV-P. DCA-P also showed the highest reliability, followed by DCA-A and then DCA-T. The reliability of DCA-A and DCA-T was not significantly affected by any of the assessed factors; in contrast, DCA-P’s reliability was significantly influenced by arch location and specific quadrant position. Conclusions: With DCA-P as the reference, DCA-A demonstrated superior accuracy compared to DCA-T. Although DCA-P exhibited the highest reliability, its performance was significantly affected by the positional factors of the target implant.