The mucosal attachment to titanium implants with different surface characteristics: an experimental study in dogs.
BACKGROUND
Findings from in vitro studies have indicated that the orientation and proliferation of cells on titanium surfaces may be influenced by the topography of the surface on which they are grown. It may be argued, therefore, that differences may occur in the mucosal attachment to titanium implants with different surface roughness.


OBJECTIVE
The present experiment was performed to study the composition of the soft tissue barrier that formed to implants prepared with well-defined smooth or rough surfaces.


METHODS
Five beagle dogs were used. Four implants made of c.p. titanium were placed in the right edentulous mandibular premolar region. After 3 months, two different types of abutments were connected: one experimental (OA) with a dual, thermal acid-etched surface ('Osseotite'), and one regular (RA) abutment with a 'turned' surface. At the end of a 6-month period during which proper plaque control had been maintained, biopsies including the implant and the surrounding soft and hard tissues were obtained, decalcified and processed for light and electron microscopy. A confocal He-Ne laser profilometer was used to study the surface topography of the abutments.


RESULTS
The attachment between the peri-implant mucosa and titanium abutments with either a turned (RA; 'smooth') or acid-etched (OA; 'rough') surface was similar from both a quantitative and a qualitative aspect. The attachment comprised a barrier epithelium and a zone of connective tissue attachment of similar dimension at RA and OA. It was further observed that the 'inner' zone of the connective tissue attachment at both types of abutment was composed of about 30-33% fibroblasts and 63-66% collagen.


CONCLUSIONS
It was demonstrated that the soft tissue attachment that formed to implants made of c.p. titanium was not influenced by the roughness of the titanium surface.
Abrahamsson
I
I
Department of Periodontology, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden.
Zitzmann
N U
NU
Berglundh
T
T
Linder
E
E
Wennerberg
A
A
Lindhe
J
J
D000134:Acid Etching, Dental; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002455:Cell Division; D003094:Collagen / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000044:Dental Abutments; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous; D015921:Dental Implants; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000517:prevention & control; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D004285:Dogs; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000473:pathology; D006371:Helium; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000601:surgery; D007834:Lasers; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009356:Neon; D010519:Periodontium / Q000473:pathology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013499:Surface Properties; D013997:Time Factors; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
D015921:Dental Implants; D006371:Helium; D009356:Neon; D003094:Collagen; D014025:Titanium