The relationship of implant osseointegration and levels of serum testosterone in male adults patients

Bone quality is the leading factor affecting implant osseointegration and stabilization, and sex hormones play an important role in the formation of a quality bone. It is known that serum testosterone values decrease by 1-1.5% every year in male individuals starting from the age of 40. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effect of serum testosterone and androgen hormones on implant osseointegration. Patients who applied to Başkent University Faculty of Dentistry Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery outpatient clinic between April 2020 and June 2021 due to missing teeth, added to study. Due to the decrease in testosterone levels after the age of 40, the patients were divided into two groups as the experiment (n: 37) over the age of 40 and the control (n: 37) under the age of 40. Serum total, free and bioactive testosterone, albumin, estradiol, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) values of these subjects were analyzed. Implant surgery was performed to the subjects, primary stabilization measurements were performed during the operation, and secondary stabilization measurements were performed during the healing head session at the 12th week control. The mean age of the subjects included in the groups was 63.19 ± 9.489 years for the experiment group and 34.41 ± 6.597 years for the control group and. There was a significant difference in free, total and bioactive testosterone levels between the two groups (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the groups according to the ISQ scale in the primary stabilization measurements made in the first session after the implantation (p:0.051). In the secondary stabilization measurements performed at the 12th week control, the osseointegration level of the experimental group was found to be statistically significantly lower (p<0.001). In addition, after the secondary stabilization measurements at the 12th week, it was observed that there was a statistically significant high correlation between the degrees of osseointegration obtained according to the ISQ scale and the free, total and bioactive testosterone levels (p:0.000 r:0.676; p:0.000 r:0.622; p:0.000 r:0.644). No statistically significant correlation was found in the groups between estradiol, albumin and SHBG levels and 12th week secondary stabilization measurements (p>0.05). Decreased testosterone and androgens levels with age cause a decrease in implant osseointegration. Hormone replacement therapies may be helpful in increasing osseointegration and prolonging implant survival. vi This study was approved by Başkent University Medical and Health Sciences Research Board and Ethics Committee (Project No: D-KA20/06) and supported by Başkent University Research Fund.