title: Visualization and initial characterization of the titanium boundary of the bone-implant interface of osseointegrated implants.
abstract: A simple procedure has allowed consistent visualization of the titanium boundary of the bone-implant interface of osseointegrated titanium implants at the electron microscope level. This was accomplished by embedding the intact bone-implant specimen block with low-viscosity resin prior to removal of the device in preparation for sectioning. The titanium boundary consisted of either a thin, compact amorphous electron dense layer, a broad layer of dense amorphous granules, or both. This material was removed by decalcification in formic acid (prior to embedding) and did not diffract electrons (ie, was noncrystalline). Scanning-transmission electron microscopy-EDX analysis indicated the presence of titanium, calcium, and phosphorus in the electron dense material. Field emission scanning electron microscopy-EDX dot-mapping analysis confirmed the presence of these elements and mapped them to the same locations at the implant-interface boundary.
authors.affiliation: St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York.
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Budd
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagahara
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Bielat
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Meenaghan
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Schaaf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D017348:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission; D016348:Osseointegration; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D016628:Replica Techniques; D012886:Skull; D013499:Surface Properties; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D014025:Titanium
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium