• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.569-576
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• 2008

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: While patient-centered outcomes are usually not reported, these may represent major aspects of the implant success for the patient. Use of a well-designed patient survey form can be an invaluable asset to the implant practitioners. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate patient satisfaction after implant therapy by means of a questionnaire. MATERIAL AND METHODS: South Korean patients (n = 100), who visited the dental examination center of Soon Chun Hyang university hospital, were asked to fill out the satisfaction questionnaire regarding aspects of cost, comfort, esthetics, chewing, gingival health, food impaction, phonetic aspect, screw loosening, and general satisfaction. Responses to statements were given on the Likert response scale. Four experimental groups of patients were distinguished with various location ($A_1,\;A_2,\;A_3$), year ($B_1,\;B_2,\;B_3$), number of implant replacements ($C_1,\;C_2,\;C_3$), and treatment cost ($D_1,\;D_2,\;D_3$). The reliability of the response scales was measured by calculation of its internal consistency, expressed as Cronbach's ${\alpha}$. The scales were distinguished by means of factor analysis method. Possible differences in scale scores among the groups were assessed by One-way ANOVA (${\alpha}$= 0.05). RESULTS: Patients responded to most of the statements with high satisfaction. But the mean scale score of statement about cost was low. After the verification of internal consistency and factor analysis, five components, e.g. general satisfaction, comfort, chewing efficiency, esthetics, and phonetic aspect were grouped together. These components could be explained with common meaning and the first factor was named as 'general satisfaction'. Differences in patient satisfaction on the scale with esthetics were present between patients who have been wearing the implant prosthesis less than three years and those more than seven years ($B_1<B_3$). CONCLUSION: The patients were generally satisfied with the outcome of implant treatment. But the patients' major complaint was high cost and while the statistically significant difference was not shown, the satisfaction scale about food impaction and esthetics was low. So the continuing efforts to make improvements about these problems are needed for the implant practitioners.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.628-640
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• 2004

Statement of problem. Wear as a result of repeated closing/opening cycles may decrease the friction coefficient of screw head, threads, and other mating components and, consequently, resistance to opening gradually decreases. It may cause screw loosening, which is one of the most common failures in implant prosthesis. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the changes on the head and thread surface of the abutment screws after repeated closing and opening through the examination of tested screws in SEM(scanning electron microscope). Materials and methods. Five species of abutments were selected (3i-three, Avana-two) respectively by two pieces. The implant fixtures were perpendicularly mounted in liquid unsaturated polyesther(Epovia, Cray Valley Inc.) with dental surveyor. Each abutment was secured to the implant fixture by each abutment screw with recommended torque value using a digital torque controller. The abutment screws were repeatedly tightened and removed 20 times with a digital controller. FESEM (field emission scanning electron microscope, Netherland, Phillips co., model:XL 30 SFEG) was used to observe changes of each part caused by repeatedly closing/opening expeiment. First, the Photomicrographs of pre-test screws provided by each manufacturer were taken. The changes of each screw were investigated after every fifth closing and opening experiment with FESEM. Scaning electron microscope photomicrographs of each screw were taken four times. Results. As the number of closing and opening was increased, the wear or distortion of hexed or squared slot that contacted with the driver tip was more severely progressed. Wear or distortion of hexed slot was more severe than that of squared slot and it was more remarkable in the titanium screw than in the gold screw. All the tested screws showed that the width in the crest of their screw thread decreased gradually as the test was proceeded. Conclusions. Conclusively, we recommend the clinical use of gold screw, a periodic exchanges of abutment screws and avoiding repeated closing/opening unnecessarily. We also suggest a more careful manipulation of the abutment screw and screw-driver and using of abutment screw with an acute-angled slot design rather than an obtuse-angled one. Finally, it is suggested that the new slot design and the surface treatment for enduring wear or distortion should be devised.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.71-79
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• 2022

Excessive crown height space increases can cause crestal bone loss and screw loosening after prosthesis is placed. Milled bar and implant overdenture can be used as a treatment method for partially edentulous patients who have severe alveolar bone loss and excessive crown height space. Milled bar can provide primary splinting effect and stability between implants. Also, milled bar with additional retention device such as Advanced Dental Device-Treatment Of Choice (ADD-TOC) and magnet can provide additional retention force for implant overdenture. In this case, the patient has a partially edentulous mandible that has severe alveolar bone loss and multiple number of teeth loss after excision due to leiomyosarcoma. Because of the long-term loss of mandibular molars, the opposing teeth were extruded. Maxillary left molars were corrected to the occlusal plane through molar intrusion, and mandibular left molar region were treated with implant overdenture, using milled bar with ADD-TOC and magnet after implant placement. The clinical result was satisfactory on the aspect of esthetic and masticatory function.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2007

Purpose: To evaluate clinical results of the tumor prosthetic replacement for pathologic fracture of the proximal femur with extensive bony destruction due to metastatic bone tumors. Materials and Methods: From 2005 October to 2006 October, resection of proximal femur and tumor prosthesis replacement was performed for metastatic bone tumors extensively involving trochanteric area in 6 patients. The mean age of overall patients was 61(range, 48~77). Mean clinical follow up was 10.5 months (range, 6~16). Primary tumor consisted with multiple myeloma in 2 patients, lung cancer in 1, breast cancer in 1, transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis in 1, unknown origin in 1 patient. $MUTARS^{(R)}$ proximal femur (Implantcast, Munster, Germany) were used in all cases. The functional evaluation in the lower extremities was performed with Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1993 scores. The degree of pain relief after surgical treatment was assessed with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Results: At the final follow up, all of the patients survived. The mean lower extremities functional score of Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1993 was 17.8(59.3%)(range, 12~25). VAS was improved to 2.5 from 8.5 after the surgical treatment. Ambulation was encouraged as soon as possible and mean duration after surgery for ambulation was 7.3(range, 3~16) days. Post-operatively, there was no surgical infection, periprosthetic fracture or loosening. Dislocation occurred in one out of six cases. Conclusion: Resection of proximal femur and tumor prosthesis replacement for metastatic bone tumors around proximal femur extensively involving trochanteric area seems to be safe procedure in view of post-operative complication, and effective for functional restoration as well as pain relief. Thus, it is accordant to the treatment principle of the metastatic bone tumors.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.343-358
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• 2011

As implant treatment has become popular, lots of different shapes and materials of the implant upper component have been supplied. And there are also diverse reports about failures including loosening of the abutment screw which is one of the most common reason. Purpose : The purpose of this study is to find out how different screw tightening orders and methods influence on screw loosening according to the different connection systems. The upper component was fabricated by casting method. After fabricating master models that are precisely attached to the upper component, 5 experimental models each for the external connection system and internal connection system were fabricated using splinting impression technique. First, to find out the influence of the screw tightening order, screws were tightened in 3 orders; 1-2-3-4, 2-3-1-4, 2-4-3-1. After tightening, removal torque values (RTV) of each group was measured. And also to find out the influence of screw tightening method, a model with 2-3-1-4 screw tightening order was tightened with 30 Ncm at one time(1-step method) and the RTV was compared with the same order group (2-3-1-4) in the 2 step method. In the external connection system, RTV appeared significantly lower in group 2-3-1-4 than group 2-4-3-1 (p<0.05). And also in the internal connection system, the RTV of group 2-3-1-4 appeared significantly lower than that of group 2-4-3-1 and 1-2-3-4 (p<0.05). When comparing the tightening number of the screw without considering the screw tightening order, the first tightened screw appeared significantly higher RTV than the second one in the external connection system (p<0.05), however there was no significant difference from the first tightened screw to the last tightened screw in the internal connection system. And there was no statistically significant difference between the two screw tightening methods in both internal and external connection system. In the comparison of external and internal connection system, each RTV appeared 16.27 Ncm and 14.25 Ncm and appeared as a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). There was a significant difference in RTV measured according to the screw tightening order. The lowest RTV appeared in the groups started tightening from the middle. There was also a significant difference in RTV between the two connection system groups. A further study is needed to find out the influence factors in RTV and also a study is required related to the load condition.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was to compare the cumulative survival rate (CSR) of Br${\aa}$nemark machined surface implants and TiUnite$^{TM}$ imlants and to analyze association between risk factors and the CSR of the implants. Materials and methods: A retrospective study design was used to collect long-term follow-up clinical data from dental records of 156 patients treated with 541 Br${\aa}$nemark machined and TiUnite$^{TM}$ implants at Korea University Guro hospital in South Korea from 1993 through 2008. Machined implant and TiUnite$^{TM}$ implant were compared by CSR. Exposure variables such as gender, systemic disease, location, implant length, diameter, prosthesis type, opposing occlusion type, date of implant placement, type of edentulous space, abutment type, existence of splinting with natural teeth, and existence of cantilever were collected. Life table analysis was undertaken to examine the CSR. Cox regression method was conducted to assess the association between potential risk factors and overall CSR (${\alpha}$=.05). Results: Patient ages ranged from 16 to 75 years old (mean age, 51 years old). Implants were more frequently placed in men than women (94 men versus 63 women). Since 1993, 264 Br${\aa}$nemark machined implants were inserted in 79 patients and since 2001, 277 TiUnite$^{TM}$ implants were inserted in 77 patients. A total survival rate of 86.07% was observed in Br${\aa}$nemark and Nobel Biocare TiUnite$^{TM}$ during 15 years. A survival rate of machined implant during 15 years was 82.89% and that of TiUnite$^{TM}$ implant during 5 years was 98.74%. The implant CSR revealed lower rates association with several risk factors such as, systemic disease, other accompanied surgery, implant location, and Kennedy classification. Conclusion: Clinical performance of Br${\aa}$nemark machined and TiUnite$^{TM}$ implant demonstrated a high level of predictability. In this study, TiUnite$^{TM}$ implant was more successful than machined implant. The implant CSR was associated with several risk factors.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2002

Purpose : We evaluated the radiological and functional results of prosthetic reconstruction for locally aggressive benign and malignant tumor in the lower extremity. Materials and Methods : Eighty eight patients were followed up for an average 76 months(22~174). We examined the survival rate of prosthesis, and evaluated the final result by MSTS functional score and ISOLS radiological implants evaluation system. They were statistically analyzed according to the age(<20 year vs. ${\geq}$20 year), fixation methods, amount of bony resection, chemotherapy, local recurrence, and presence of metastasis. Results : The 5 year prosthetic survival rates were 100% in the proximal femur, 83.3% in the distal femur, 81.9% in the proximal tibia. Mean total functional scores were 73.3%, 72%, 68.7%, respectively. In distal femur, the non-chemotherapeutic group was superior in the prosthetic survival rate. Recurrence or metastasis affected the functions in the distal femur and proximal tibia. In the radiological evaluation of the distal femur, older patients over 20 years of age and with cement fixation were superior in bone remodeling(p<0.05). Postoperative infection and radiological loosening were the main causes of the prosthetic failure. Conclusion : The prosthetic reconstruction in the lower extremity led to good clinical and radiological results. Amount of bony resection, chemotherapy, recurrence and metastasis seemed to influence the prosthetic survival, and long-term follow-up will be necessary to investigate more significant prognostic factors.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.424-434
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• 2009

Statement of problem: Problems such as loosening and fractures of retained screws and fracture of implant fixture have been frequently reported in implant prosthesis. Purpose: Implant has weak mechanical properties against lateral loading compared to vertical occlusal loading, and therefore, stress analysis of implant fixture depending on its material and geometric features is needed. Material and methods: Total 28 of external hexed implants were divided into 7 of 4 groups; Group A (3i, FULL $OSSEOTITE^{(R)}$Implant), Group B (Nobelbiocare, $Br{\aa}nemark$ $System^{(R)}$Mk III Groovy RP), Group C (Neobiotec, $SinusQuick^{TM}$ EB), Group D (Osstem, US-II). The type III gold alloy prostheses were fabricated using adequate UCLA gold abutments. Fixture, abutment screw, and abutment were connected and cross-sectioned vertically. Hardness test was conducted using MXT-$\alpha$. For fatigue fracture test, with MTS 810, the specimens were loaded to the extent of 60-600 N until fracture occurred. The fracture pattern of abutment screw and fixture was observed under scanning electron microscope. A comparative study of stress distribution and fracture area of abutment screw and fixture was carried out through finite element analysis Results: 1. In Vicker's hardness test of abutment screw, the highest value was measured in group A and lowest value was measured in group D. 2. In all implant groups, implant fixture fractures occurred mainly at the 3-4th fixture thread valley where tensile stress was concentrated. When the fatigue life was compared, significant difference was found between the group A, B, C and D (P<.05). 3. The fracture patterns of group B and group D showed complex failure type, a fracture behavior including transverse and longitudinal failure patterns in both fixture and abutment screw. In Group A and C, however, the transverse failure of fixture was only observed. 4. The finite element analysis infers that a fatigue crack started at the fixture surface. Conclusion: The maximum tensile stress was found in the implant fixture at the level of cortical bone. The fatigue fracture occurred when the dead space of implant fixture coincides with jig surface where the maximum tensile stress was generated. To increase implant durability, prevention of surrounding bone resorption is important. However, if the bone resorption progresses to the level of dead space, the frequency of implant fracture would increase. Thus, proper management is needed.