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Notes: Aim: To evaluate the effect of a local single injection of amino-terminally truncated recombinant human fibroblast growth factor-4 (rhFGF-4s) on titanium implant incorporation in a rabbit bone.Material and methods: Thirty-six threaded titanium implants were inserted into the femur and tibia of six rabbits. Three weeks prior to implant insertion 10 μg of FGF-4 in an altelocollagen carrier or the carrier alone was injected into the intended implant sites.Biomechanical evaluation by (i) resonance frequency analysis and (ii) peak removal torque measurements was performed after 6 weeks. The implants with surrounding tissue were processed to undecalcified ground sections followed by light-microscopic quantifications of the bone in threaded area and the apical parts of the implants.Results: A general trend, however not statistically significant, with higher mean values obtained in the above-mentioned tests was found. The FGF-4-treated implants revealed a significantly increased bone area in the apical part of the implants compared to the corresponding control implants.Conclusion: A local single injection of rhFGF-4 may stimulate bone formation around titanium implants in bone. However, further research is required to confirm these results, understand the mechanisms of FGF, and establish optimal dose and delivery methods.

Notes: A commercially available hydroxyapatite(HA)-coating was investigated in a 4- and 24-week animal study. HA-coated and uncoated commercially pure (c.p.) titanium threaded implants were inserted in rabbit tibia and femur. Qualitative histology showed giant cells and macrophages around both types of implants. Histomorphometry demonstrated significantly more bone in contact to the HA-coated specimens at both follow-up periods. In contrast, bone area measurements (the amount of bone inside and/or outside the threads) revealed significantly higher percentages of bone around the uncoated c.p. titanium controls after 6 months of follow-up. The inferior amount of bone around the HA-coated implants in the longer-term perspective may relate to macrophage-induced resorption.

Notes: Abstract: The present experimental study was designed to address two issues. The first was to investigate whether oxide properties of titanium implants influenced bone tissue responses after an in vivo implantation time of six weeks. If such a result was found, the second aim was to investigate which oxide properties are involved in such bone tissue responses. Screw-shaped implants with a wide range of oxide properties were prepared by electrochemical oxidation methods, where the oxide thickness varied in the range of 200 nm to 1000 nm. The surface morphology was prepared in two substantially different ways, i.e. barrier and porous oxide film structures. The micropore structure revealed pore sizes of 8 μm in diameter, with a range in opening area from 1.27 μm2 to 2.1 μm2. Porosity ranged from 12.7% to 24.4%. The crystal structures of the titanium oxide were amorphous, anatase and a mixture of anatase and rutile type. The chemical compositions consisted mainly of TiO2. Surface roughness ranged from 0.96 μm to 1.03 μm (Sa). Each group of test samples showed its own, defined status with respect to these various parameters. The oxide properties of turned commercially pure titanium implants were used in the control group, which was characterized by an oxide thickness of 17.4 ± 6.2 nm, amorphous type in crystallinity, TiO2 in chemical composition, and a surface roughness of 0.83 μm (Sa). Bone tissue responses were evaluated by resonance frequency measurements and removal torque tests that were undertaken six weeks after implant insertion in rabbit tibia. Implants that had an oxide thickness of approximately 600, 800 and 1000 nm demonstrated significantly stronger bone responses in the evaluation of removal torque values than did implants that had an oxide thickness of approximately 17 and 200 nm (P 〈 0.05). However, there were no difference between implants with oxide thicknesses of 17 and 200 nm (P = 0.99). It was concluded that oxide properties of titanium implants, which include oxide thickness, micropore configurations and crystal structures, greatly influence the bone tissue response in the evaluation of removal torque values. However, it is not fully understood whether these oxide properties influence the bone tissue response separately or synergistically.

Notes: Objectives: In the light microscope compare the amount of bone saucerization for non-threaded cylindrical and threaded implant designs in retrieved samples from patients.Material and method: Consecutively received retrieved oral implants from 117 patients, whereof 85 non-threaded cylindrical and 85 Brånemark implants, have been included in the study. For 75 non-threaded cylindrical and 46 Brånemark implants was the entire implant length available for calculation. Undecalcified ground sections were investigated in the light microscope with calculation of percentage of implant length coronal to the first bone–implant contact and percentage of bone to implant contact.Results: Mean value for implant length coronal to first bone–implant contact was 65%, standard error of the mean (SEM) 3 (range 0–100%), for non-threaded cylindrical implants and 43%, SEM 6 (range 0–100%) for Brånemark implants. Mean values of bone contact along the entire implant length was 23%, SEM 2 (range 0–65%), for the non-threaded cylindrical implants and 33%, SEM 5 (range 0–93%) for the Brånemark implants.Conclusion: Within the limitations of this retrospective, retrieval study non-threaded cylindrical implants demonstrated a greater bone saucerization when evaluated in the light microscope.

Notes: This study aimed to investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on the tissue reactions to commercially pure (c.p.) titanium implants placed in free autogenous bone graft by a 1-stage procedure. Eighty c.p. titanium implants were placed in the bone grafted from iliac crest to bilateral mandible of 40 Japanese white rabbits without tapping. Twenty rabbits underwent daily a HBO treatment for 60 min under 2.4 ATA during 20 consecutive days and the other untreated 20 rabbits served as controls. The implants with surrounding bone tissue were retrieved 20, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days after surgery, fixated, dehydrated and embedded in resin. About 20 μm thick ground sections were prepared prior to microscopical observations. The bone area and the bone-to-implant contact inside the threads were calculated separately in the grafted bone and in the host bone for each implant. After 30 and up to 120 days, the HBO treated group showed more bone-to-implant contacts in the grafted bone as compared to the non-HBO treated group. In the host bone there were no differences observed between HBO and non-HBO treated groups. This study indicated that HBO treatment was beneficial for the tissue incorporation of c.p. titanium implants when placed immediately in free autogenous bone grafts.

Notes: Screw shaped implants of commercially pure (c.p.) titanium and titanium-6aluminum-4vanadium (Ti6AI4V) were blasted with particles of TiO2 of mean sizes of 25 μm (Group I) and 7.5 μm (Group II) and inserted in rabbit bone for 3 months. The surface roughness of the implants was examined and quantified with an optical scanning 3-dimensional instrument (TopScan 3D system), revealing the two alloy surfaces in each group had similar surface roughness. Biomechanical (removal torque) tests showed the c.p. titanium implants to be significantly more stable in the bone bed than those of Ti6AI4V. In Group I, the c.p titanium implants demonstrated a mean removal torque of 38 N cm while the Ti6AI4V demonstrated a mean removal torque of 27 Ncm (P=0.004). Group II implants revealed a mean removal torque of 70 Ncm for the c.p. ti and 50 Ncm for the alloy samples (P=0.003). The removal torque values were converted to shear forces/strengths by three calculation methods, based on (a) the entire length of the implant surface in the cortical region, (b) the thickness of the cortical bone measured in close vicinity to the thread peaks and *lpar;c) the bone-metal contact length measured on the non-unscrewed neighbouring implants. Group I: (a) the c.p. ti implants revealed a mean shear force of 4 vs a mean of 3 N/mm2 for the alloy samples. Shear strengths based on (b); were 8 for c.p. ti vs 6 N/mm2 for the alloy. The mean shear strength/force if calculated according to (c) revealed 23 for c.p. ti vs 18 N/mm2 for the alloy. Corresponding numbers for Group II; (a) cp. ti 8 compared to 6 N/mm2 for the alloy, (b) c.p. ti demonstrated a mean value of 17 vs 11 N/mm2 for the alloy. According to method (c); c.p. ti had a mean shear strength of 26 vs 22 N/mm2 for the alloy samples. Histomorphometrical comparisons were performed on 10 urn thick undecalcified ground sections in the light microscope. In both Group I and Group II, the calculations of the mean bone-to-metal contact demonstrated more bone in contact to the c-p. titanium implants than to the Ti6AI4V ones. Whereas comparisons of the bone volume inside the threads demonstrated slightly higher bone volumes around the alloy samples, no statistically significant difference was obtained between the two materials histomorphometrically.