This study aimed to compare two methods of crosslinking collagen type I on implanted titanium surfaces, that is, using glutaraldehyde (GA) or gamma-rays (GRs), in a beagle dog model. For in vivo experiments, implants were allocated to three groups and applied to mandibular bone defects in beagle dogs; Group SLA; non-treated Sandblasted, large grit, acid-etched (SLA) implants, Group GA; SLA implants coated with GA crosslinked collagen type I, Group GR; SLA surface implants coated with collagen type I and crosslinked using 25 kGy of 60Co gamma radiation. New bone μCT volumes were obtained, and histologic and histometric analyses were performed in regions of interest. The GR group had significantly better new bone areas (NBAs) and bone to implant contact (BIC) results than the SLA group (p < 0.05), but the GA and GR groups were similar in this respect. New bone volumes and inter-thread bone densities (ITBD) were non-significantly different in the three groups (p > 0.05). Within the limits of this study, gamma-ray collagen crosslinking on titanium implants can be considered a substitute for glutaraldehyde crosslinking.
Keywords: bone regeneration; collagen; gamma radiation; surface modification; titanium implant.