Can changes in implant macrogeometry accelerate the osseointegration process?: An in vivo experimental biomechanical and histological evaluations

PLoS One. 2020 May 14;15(5):e0233304. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233304. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Objectives: The propose was to compare this new implant macrogeometry with a control implant with a conventional macrogeometry.

Materials and methods: Eighty-six conical implants were divided in two groups (n = 43 per group): group control (group CON) that were used conical implants with a conventional macrogeometry and, group test (group TEST) that were used implants with the new macrogeometry. The new implant macrogeometry show several circular healing cambers between the threads, distributed in the implant body. Three implants of each group were used to scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) analysis and, other eighty samples (n = 40 per group) were inserted the tibia of ten rabbit (n = 2 per tibia), determined by randomization. The animals were sacrificed (n = 5 per time) at 3-weeks (Time 1) and at 4-weeks after the implantations (Time 2). The biomechanical evaluation proposed was the measurement of the implant stability quotient (ISQ) and the removal torque values (RTv). The microscopical analysis was a histomorphometric measurement of the bone to implant contact (%BIC) and the SEM evaluation of the bone adhered on the removed implants.

Results: The results showed that the implants of the group TEST produced a significant enhancement in the osseointegration in comparison with the group CON. The ISQ and RTv tests showed superior values for the group TEST in the both measured times (3- and 4-weeks), with significant differences (p < 0.05). More residual bone in quantity and quality was observed in the samples of the group TEST on the surface of the removed implants. Moreover, the %BIC demonstrated an important increasing for the group TEST in both times, with statistical differences (in Time 1 p = 0.0103 and in Time 2 p < 0.0003).

Conclusions: Then, we can conclude that the alterations in the implant macrogeometry promote several benefits on the osseointegration process.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Implants, Experimental*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Osseointegration* / physiology
  • Prosthesis Design*
  • Rabbits
  • Random Allocation
  • Tibia / physiology
  • Tibia / ultrastructure
  • Time Factors
  • Titanium

Substances

  • Titanium

Grants and funding

Biotecnos Research Center provided support in the form of salary for author SAG, who is the director and a researcher at the laboratory. The specific role of this author is articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section. Biotecnos Research Center is a company dedicated to conducting material analysis, and its facilities were used to perform histological sections and images.The funder did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.