Impact of a Hydrophilic Dental Implant Surface on Osseointegration: Biomechanical Results in Rabbit

Biomechanical Evaluation of the Osseointegration Levels of Implants Placed Simultaneously With Tibia, Femur, and Jaw Allogeneic Bone Grafts

In implant-supported prosthetic treatments, the jaw bones may not always have enough bone to accommodate implants. Allogeneic grafts can also be preferred as an alternative to autogenous grafts in cases of vertical and horizontal bone deficiencies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the osseointegration levels of lathe-faced titanium implants placed together with allogeneic bone tissue transplants obtained from tibia, femur, and mandible bones using a biomechanical method. Twenty-eight female Sprague Dawley rats were included in the study. The subjects were divided into groups where bone transplantations were performed together with implant placement from the tibia (n=7), femur (n=7), and lower jaw (n=7) regions. Four rats (left and right) were used as donors. Grafts, along with implants, were surgically placed in the corticocancellous part of the metaphyseal parts of the tibia bones of rats. At the end of the 2-week experimental setup, all rats were killed, and the implants and surrounding bone tissues were subjected to biomechanical reverse torque analysis (N/cm), no statistical difference was detected in terms of bone-implant fusion between the groups in which the femur and tibia bones were transplanted ( P >0.05), while the bone-implant fusion value in the group in which the lower jaw bone was transplanted was found to be statistically higher than the femur and tibia bones ( P <0.05). Based on the limited results of this study, it can be thought that the lower jaw allogeneic jawbone has a higher osseointegration potential than allogeneic grafts obtained from the femur and tibia.

Comparison of early osseointegration of non-thermal atmospheric plasma-functionalized/ SLActive titanium implant surfaces in beagle dogs

Background: Hydrophilic dental implants are gaining increasing interest for their ability to accelerate bone formation. However, commercially available hydrophilic implants, such as SLActive™, have some major limitations due to their time-dependent biological aging and lower cost-effectiveness. The non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) treatment is a reliable way to gain a hydrophilic surface and enhance osseointegration. However, a few studies have been carried out to compare the osseointegration of NTAP-functionalized titanium implants and commercially available hydrophilic implants.

Purpose: In this study, we compare the osseointegration abilities of the NTAP-functionalized titanium implant and Straumann SLActive.

Material and methods: The NTAP effectiveness was examined using in vitro cell experiments. Then, six beagle dogs were included in the in vivo experiment. Straumann SLActive implants, SLA implants, and SLA implants treated with NTAP were implanted in the mandibular premolar area of dogs. After 2 w, 4 w, and 8 w, the animals were sacrificed and specimens were collected. Radiographic and histological analyses were used to measure osseointegration.

Results: NTAP treatment accelerated the initial attachment and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. In the in vivo experiment, bone parameters (e.g., BIC value and BV/TV) and volume of new bone of NTAP groups were close to those of the SLActive group. Additionally, although there was no statistical difference, the osseointegration of SLActive and NTAP groups was evidently superior to that of the SLA group.

Conclusion: NTAP-functionalized implants enhanced cell interaction with material and subsequent bone formation. The osseointegration of the NTAP-functionalized implant was comparable to that of the SLActive implant at the early osseointegration stage.