Evaluation of osseous integration of titanium orthopedic screws with novel SLA treatment in porcine model

PLoS One. 2017 Nov 17;12(11):e0188364. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188364. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

The success of many endosseous implants in orthopaedic and dental applications depends on the surface characteristics, as they affect osseous integration. Previous investigations indicated that a novel large-grit sand-blasted and acid-etched (SLA) titanium (denoted as SLAffinity-Ti) implant had better bone integration than that of a comparably shaped implant with a plasma-sprayed titanium surface. The purpose of the present investigation was to create a SLAffinity surface on pedicle screws and trauma screws and to compare it with the surfaces of a sand-blasted-only implant and commercial implants in terms of bone integration. The cortical bone and spine of twelve minipigs were implanted with 3 and 4 implants, respectively, and the bone integration was evaluated using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), mechanical tests (pull-out strength and stripping torque), and histological analysis (toluidine blue and hematoxylin and eosin staining) one and three months after implantation. The micro-CT images showed that the gap between the bone and implant was consistently higher in the sand-blasted-only and commercial groups compared to that in the SLAffinity group 1 and 3 months after implantation. Moreover, the bone volume of implant inserted into bone and the percentage of implant inside bone tissue were greater in the SLAffinity screws 1 and 3 months after implantation, as compared to the sand-blasted and commercial screws. In the mechanical tests, the removal torque and pull-out strength (p < 0.05) were higher in the SLAffinity group at 1 and 3 months. The histological results were consistent with mechanical testing, showing that the SLAffinity group had the most mineralized matrix, the most bone formation around the screws, and the most bone cells in bone tissue. These findings indicate that a SLAffinity surface can effectively enhance the holding strength and integration of pedicle screws and cortical screws, promoting early healing and improving outcomes, compared to sand-blasted-only and commercial implants.

MeSH terms

  • Acid Etching, Dental / methods*
  • Animals
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Cortical Bone / diagnostic imaging
  • Cortical Bone / drug effects*
  • Cortical Bone / physiology
  • Dental Implantation, Endosseous / methods
  • Dental Implants*
  • Dental Prosthesis Design
  • Implants, Experimental*
  • Male
  • Osseointegration / physiology
  • Osteogenesis / drug effects*
  • Osteogenesis / physiology
  • Spine / diagnostic imaging
  • Spine / drug effects*
  • Spine / physiology
  • Swine
  • Swine, Miniature
  • Titanium / chemistry
  • Titanium / pharmacology*
  • Torque
  • X-Ray Microtomography

Substances

  • Dental Implants
  • Titanium

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Industrial Technology Develop Program (TDP) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, R.O.C. Grant number is 102-EC-17-A-19-I1-0092. The URL is https://www.moea.gov.tw/MNS/doit/content/Content.aspx?menu_id=13394. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.