Table 3.

Correlation analysis between clinical and microbiological parameters

Clinical parameters	Microbiological parameters (CFU)	Pooled
		r	p
Holgers at 3 m	Tissue aerobes at baseline	0.904	< 0.001
	Tissue anaerobes at 3 m	0.626	0.029
	Tissue anaerobes at 12 m	0.680	0.044
Pain at 3 m	Tissue aerobes at baseline	0.701	0.011
Holgers at 12 m	Paper-point aerobes at 3 m	0.745	0.021
	Paper-point anaerobes at 3 m	0.819	0.007
	Paper-point staphylococci at 3 m	0.705	0.034
	Paper-point enterococci at 3 m	0.884	0.002
	Paper-point E. coli at 3 m	0.736	0.024
Hygiene at 12 m	Paper-point enterococci at 3 m	0.746	0.021

Clinical parameters	Clinical parameters	Pooled
		r	p
Holgers at 3 m	Pain at 3 m	0.733	0.007
Holgers at 3 m	Hygiene at 12 m	0.737	0.023
Hygiene at 3 m	Hygiene at 12 m	0.763	0.017

Microbiological parameters (CFU)	Microbiological parameters (CFU)	Pooled
		r	p
Tissue aerobes at 3 m	Tissue aerobes at 12 m	0.810	0.008
	Tissue staphylococci at 3 m	0.906	0.000
	Tissue staphylococci at 12 m	0.866	0.003
	Paper-point enterococci at 3 m	0.715	0.009
	Paper-point E. coli at 3 m	0.895	< 0.001
Paper-point aerobes at 3 m	Abutment aerobes at 3 m	0.729	0.007
	Tissue aerobes at 12 m	0.683	0.043
	Paper-point anaerobes at 3 m	0.868	< 0.001
	Abutment anaerobes at 3 m	0.593	0.042
	Paper-point staphylococci at 3 m	0.898	< 0.001
	Abutment staphylococci at 3 m	0.706	0.010
Abutment aerobes at 3 m	Paper-point anaerobes at 3 m	0.770	0.003
	Abutment anaerobes at 3 m	0.941	< 0.001
	Paper-point staphylococci at 3 m	0.780	0.003
	Abutment staphylococci at 3 m	0.973	< 0.001
Tissue aerobes at 12 m	Tissue anaerobes at 3 m	0.810	0.008
	Tissue staphylococci at 3 m	0.717	0.030
	Tissue staphylococci at 12 m	0.759	0.018
	Paper-point E. coli at 3 m	0.698	0.037
Paper-point aerobes at 12 m	Paper-point anaerobes at 12 m	0.974	< 0.001
	Paper-point staphylococci at 12 m	0.976	< 0.001
	Abutment staphylococci at 12 m	0.950	0.050
Tissue anaerobes at 0 m	Abutment enterococci at 3 m	− 0.577	0.050
Paper-point anaerobes at 3 m	Abutment anaerobes at 3 m	0.757	0.004
	Paper-point staphylococci at 3 m	0.894	< 0.001
	Abutment staphylococci at 3 m	0.737	0.006
Abutment anaerobes at 3 m	Paper-point staphylococci at 3 m	0.751	0.005
	Abutment staphylococci at 3 m	0.924	< 0.001
Paper-point anaerobes at 12 m	Paper-point staphylococci at 12 m	0.924	< 0.001
	Paper-point enterococci at 12 m	− 0.718	0.029
Tissue staphylococci at 3 m	Tissue staphylococci at 12 m	0.844	0.004
	Paper-point enterococci at 3 m	0.764	0.004
	Paper-point E. coli at 3 m	0.965	< 0.001
Paper-point staphylococci at 3 m	Abutment staphylococci at 3 m	0.768	0.004
	Abutment staphylococci at 12 m	0.952	0.048
Tissue staphylococci at 12 m	Paper-point E. coli at 3 m	0.798	0.010
Paper-point staphylococci at 12 m	Abutment staphylococci at 12 m	0.998	0.002
Paper-point enterococci at 3 m	Paper-point E. coli at 3 m	0.873	< 0.001
Tissue E. coli at 12 m	Paper-point E. coli at 12 m	0.996	< 0.001

The data show clinical parameters that revealed significant positive or negative correlations with bacterial count in the three different compartments (in the tissue, in the peri-implant exudate and on the abutment). Pearson coefficients (r) and level of significance (p) are presented; n = 9–12. In the analysis patients with both types of abutments were pooled