Primary Stability
The mechanical anchorage achieved by a dental implant at the time of placement, resulting from the compression fit between the implant and surrounding bone.
Full Definition
Primary stability describes the initial mechanical fixation of a dental implant in the osteotomy site immediately after placement, before any biological healing has occurred. It is determined by factors including bone density and volume, implant macro-design (thread pitch, diameter, and length), and the surgical preparation technique. Primary stability is a prerequisite for uneventful osseointegration and is clinically quantified using insertion torque values and resonance frequency analysis (RFA). Editors should be careful not to confuse primary stability with secondary stability, which develops over weeks to months as bone remodels around the implant. The term is always lowercase and hyphenated only when used attributively before a noun (e.g., 'primary-stability threshold').
Usage
Usage note: Do not use interchangeably with 'osseointegration'. Primary stability is mechanical; osseointegration is biological.
In Context
- "High primary stability was achieved in all cases, with mean insertion torque values of 35 Ncm." — Clinical research article
- "The discussion section incorrectly used 'osseointegration' where 'primary stability' was the intended concept; a query was raised." — Copy-editing note