The Improved Biological Performance of a Novel Low Elastic Modulus Implant

Abstract

BackgroundThe mismatch of the elastic modulus between implants and bone tissue can lead to stress shielding, bone resorption and poor osseointegration. Compared with normal bone tissue, this problem is much more serious in osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was designed to find out whether the novel Ti-24Nb-4Zr-7.9Sn (TNZS) implant with low elastic modulus and high strength was suitable for biomedical material, especially in osteoporosis.Methodology In vitro study, the viability and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of osteoblasts on the TNZS and Ti-6V-4V (TAV) were observed. In vivo study, 30 adult female New Zealand rabbits were selected and divided randomly into two groups: sham-operation (SHAM, n = 6) and ovariectomised in combination with methylprednisolone treatment (OVX+MP, n = 24). Two implants were then placed in the tibia of each OVX + MP group rabbit, one in each side (left: TAV; right: TNZS). The OVX + MP group rabbits were sacrificed at 4 and 12 weeks after the implantation. The osteoporotic bone responses to the TNZS and TAV implants were evaluated by pull-out test, Micro-CT analyses and histological observation.Principal FindingsCompared with the TAV group, the TNZS group showed a significant increase (P<0.05) in cell viability and ALP activity, new bone formation and pull-out force.ConclusionsThe novel TNZS implants show good biological performance both in vitro and in vivo, which suggests that the alloys are suitable for biomedical applications, especially in osteoporosis.

Comparative 3D micro‐CT and 2D histomorphometry analysis of dental implant osseointegration in the maxilla of minipigs

“…Hence, the results of exclusive μ CT measurements might not change the conclusions (Shi et al. ). We detected BIC very close – especially for polychromatic μ CT – to the titanium surface and consider it as being important, while respecting the influence of the artefacts.…”

Titanium–35niobium alloy as a potential material for biomedical implants: In vitro study

“…These new alloys are being produced with metals such as niobium (Nb), zirconium (Zr) and tantalum (Ta), which have not caused adverse effect in vitro and in vivo studies [6][7][8]12,27,31,[33][34][35][36][37]40,43,44,50].…”

“…Our group previously showed the development of a new binary alloy, Ti-35Nb, which exhibits an elastic modulus significantly lower (80.7GPa) than Ti and Ti-6Al-4V (above 120GPa) [11]. Despite the benefits of the TiNb binary alloy, few studies have explored their potential in biomedical applications [8,31,35,37]. Consequently, we became interested in exploring the Ti-35Nb potential for implantable biomaterials.…”

“…Materials for biomedical implants should present excellent biological properties and suitable mechanical properties [33]. Previous analysis revealed favorable results for a new alloy composed of Ta, Zr and Nb, as it did not exhibit detrimental effects and it showed to be atoxic [7,8,27,31,[33][34][35][36][37]40,43,44,50], opposed to Ti6Al4V [4,5]. Our results showed that the Ti-35Nb alloy was not cytotoxic, presenting similar or higher values of cell viability when compared to Ti in all periods, as reported by previous studies [6,8,33].…”

The effects of acid etching time on surface mechanical properties of dental hard tissues

“…For the best possible interface, it is crucial to closely match the elastic moduli of two materials. The gross mismatch of elastic moduli may lead to areas of stress concentration and ultimate failure of the materials itself or the interface 21) . For dentin there was no significant decrease in the elastic moduli (Fig.…”