A Novel Technique for Testing Osteointegration in Load-Bearing Conditions

Abstract

When a new material for the realization of an implantable device in the bone is being studied, in addition to its chemical-physical-mechanical characterization, tests regarding osteointegration are performed. Usually, researchers evaluate the ability of biomaterials to bind to the bone under load-bearing conditions, through animal experiments in the phase of a preclinical study, provided the respective authorization by the ethics committee. In more detail, plugs made of the material under investigation are prepared and implanted into a weight-bearing portion of the skeleton of animals (typically into the knee joint of goats, pigs, rabbits or dogs); after a pre-set time, the animal is sacrificed, the bone element is extracted, it is tested mechanically -generally by means of a pull-out test -and finally it is examined histologically. Mechanical tests often require demanding specimen preparation, which could bias results. In the scope of a research regarding the interface behaviour of a ceramic plug (two different ceramic plugs) compared to a titanium one, the authors have suggested a novel testing technique which allows to perform 'push-in' tests, instead of the more common pull-out tests. This methodology has been followed here to compare titanium versus ceramic plugs at different times from implant (0, 3 months, 1 year) into goat knees. As a result, the study reports the shear resistance of bone-plug interfaces. The statistical analysis of the data allowed us to establish that titanium plugs systematically exhibit a higher resistance (p<0.10); this resistance undergoes a significant increment as time passes (p<0.07) due to progressive osteointegration.

Phantom -based lumbar spine experimental investigation and validation of a multibody model

“…Therefore, the implementation of a joint approach has permitted relevant steps forward in the understanding of various biomechanical aspects, thus permitting relevant improvements in the clinical sphere, such as in surgical or biomedical procedures [1][2][3][4][5], implants realisation [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] and prosthesis design [13][14][15][16][17]. On the one hand, experimental analysis provides further insights into materials characterisation at different scales [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26], objectifies clinical qualitative outcomes [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] and lets numerical models be validated [36]. On the other hand, numerical studies allow studying wider test scenarios and inferring physical quantities otherwise tough to figure out because of feasibility and costs reasons [37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45]…”

Dental Implant Site Drilling and Induced Morphological Changes Correlated with Temperature in Pig’s Rib Used as the Human Jaw Model

“…Earlier study showed that the temperature development and its influence on the bone tissue is proportional to the time of exposure to the friction during the drilling procedure [3]. Excessive destruction of the surrounding tissues like crushed bone, necrosis, or bone architecture annihilation influences the possibility of achieving good osteointegration, which is mandatory for dental implant success [4,5]. This bone change can vary according to the drill's design, parameters, and cooling system utilized.…”