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Purpose: This study evaluated the 5-year clinical and radiographic performance of fixed
implant-supported maxillary prostheses with either welded titanium or conventional cast–
gold alloy frameworks. Materials and Methods: Fifty-eight consecutive patients were
provided with 349 osseointegrated Brånemark system implants in the edentulous maxilla at
six different implant centers. Twenty-eight of the patients received, at random, prostheses
with laser-welded titanium frameworks, and the remaining 30 patients had prostheses with
conventional cast–gold alloy frameworks. Clinical and radiographic data were collected for
5 years after prosthesis placement. Results: The titanium and cast-gold framework groups exhibited
similar cumulative survival and success rates (CSR). The 5-year implant CSR from
time of placement was 91.4% and 94.0%, respectively, and from prosthesis delivery the rate
was 94.9% and 95.6%, respectively. The corresponding 5-year prosthesis CSRs were 96.4%
and 93.3%. One patient from each group lost all the implants and turned to complete dentures
within the first year of function. Another patient with a cast-gold framework had the
prosthesis replaced after 4 years, basically because of problems with the veneering material.
No fractures of implant components were observed during the follow-up period. Bone loss
was on average 0.59 mm (SD 0.97 mm) during 5 years, with no statistical difference between
the two groups. Conclusion: Welded titanium frameworks presented a similar favorable
clinical performance as conventional cast–gold alloy frameworks in fixed implant-supported
prostheses in the edentulous maxilla after 5 years in function. Implant failures were concentrated
in only a few patients in each study group.
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