Evaluation of an endosseous titanium implant with a sandblasted and acid‐etched surface in the canine mandible: radiographic results

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated in short-term experiments that sandblasted and acid-etched (SLA) titanium implant had a greater bone-to-implant contact than a titanium plasma-sprayed (TPS) implant in non-oral bone. In the present study, an SLA implant was compared radiographically to a TPS implant under unloaded and loaded conditions in the canine mandible for up to 15 months. 69 implants were placed in 6 foxhounds. Standardized radiographs were taken at baseline, preload, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of loading. Loaded implants were restored with gold crowns similar to the natural dentition. Radiographic assessment of the bone response to the implants was carried out by measuring the distance between the implant shoulder and the most coronal bone-to-implant contact (DIB) and by evaluated of bone density changes using computer-assisted densitometric image analysis (CADIA). 5 different areas-of-interest (AOI) were defined coronally and apically along the implant. DIB measurements revealed that SLA implants had significantly less bone height loss (0.52 mm) than TPS implants (0.69 mm) at the preload evaluation (p = 0.0142) as well as at 3 months of loading (0.73 mm/1.06 mm; p = 0.0337). This difference was maintained between the implant types during the 1-year follow-up period. The same trend was also evident for CADIA measurements with SLA implants showing higher crestal bone density values when comparing preload to baseline data (p = 0.0890) and 3 months to baseline data (p = 0.0912). No measurable bone density changes were apparent in the apical areas of either implant. These results suggest that SLA implants are superior to TPS implants as measured radiographically in oral bone under unloaded and loaded conditions.

Osteoblasts preferentially adhere to peaks on micro-structured titanium

“…Pickled and acid-etched, sand-blasted (SLA) commercially pure titanium samples were kindly provided by Straumann Institut (Basel, Switzerland) These surfaces have been extensively described and characterized in the literature 17,18) . The samples were provided as sterile discs of 1 mm thickness, 16 mm diameter, and were used in 24 well plates (Euroclone, Milano, Italy) for the biological assays.…”

Rabbits as Animal Models in Contemporary Implant Biomaterial Research

“…27,28 Macroscopic characteristics of the implant surface influence cellular events present at the bone biomaterial interface and are critical for the long-term survival of the implant. 28 The cells have been demonstrated to be sensitive to microtopography.…”

Surface Properties and Biocompatibility of Acid-etched Titanium

“…It has been reported that sandblasted and acid-etched (SLA) titanium promotes greater osseous contact compared with titanium-plasmasprayed implants [6][7][8][9] . This is due to the high surface roughness of SLA produced by grit blasting and acid etching, with the latter resulting in an increase in sub-surface hydrogen concentration and the formation of titanium hydride 10) .…”