Purpose: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the biomechanical fixation and bone-to-implant contact (BIC) of plateau root form implants of varied surfaces.
Materials and methods: Plateau root form implants, 3.5 mm in diameter, 8 mm in length, with 4 surfaces (n = 16 each)--machined, alumina-blasted/acid-etched, alumina-blasted/acid-etched plus nanothickness bioceramic coating, and plasma-sprayed calcium-phosphate--were used. They were bilaterally placed at the distal femur of 16 New Zealand rabbits and remained in place for 2 and 4 weeks in vivo. After euthanizing the rabbits, the implants were subjected to torque to interface fracture and were subsequently processed as nondecalcified approximately 30-microm-thickness slides for histomorphologic analysis and BIC determination. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance at the 95% level of significance, considering implantation time and implant surface as independent variables and the torque-to-interface fracture and BIC as dependent variables.
Results: The torque-to-interface fracture was significantly affected by the implant surface (P < .001) but was not affected by the implantation time (P > .20). The implantation time and implant surface had significant effects on the BIC (P < .04 and P < .001, respectively). The greatest torque-to-interface fracture and BIC was observed for the plasma-sprayed calcium-phosphate.
Conclusion: The implant surface significantly influenced early bone healing around plateau root form implants.
Copyright 2010 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.