title: Comparison of bone-implant contact and bone-implant volume between 2D-histological sections and 3D-SRµCT slices.
abstract: Histological imaging is still considered the gold standard for analysing bone formation around metallic implants. Generally, a limited number of histological sections per sample are used for the approximation of mean values of peri-implant bone formation. In this study we compared statistically the results of bone-implant contact (BIC) and bone-implant volume (BIV) obtained by histological sections, with those obtained by X-ray absorption images from synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography (SRµCT) using osseointegrated screw-shaped implants from a mini-pig study. Comparing the BIC results of 3-4 histological sections per implant sample with the appropriate 3-4 SRµCT slices showed a non-significant difference of 1.9 % (p = 0.703). The contact area assessed by the whole 3D information from the SRµCT measurement in comparison to the histomorphometric results showed a non-significant difference in BIC of 4.9 % (p = 0.171). The amount of the bone-implant volume in the histological sections and the appropriate SRµCT slices showed a non-significant difference by only 1.4 % (p = 0.736) and also remains non-significant with 2.6 % (p = 0.323) using the volumetric SRµCT information. We conclude that for a clinical evaluation of implant osseointegration with histological imaging at least 3-4 sections per sample are sufficient to represent the BIC or BIV for a sample. Due to the fact that in this study we have found a significant intra-sample variation in BIC of up to ± 35 % the selection of only one or two histological sections per sample may strongly influence the determined BIC.
authors.affiliation: Max-Bergmann-Center for Biomaterials, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. Ricardo.Bernhardt@tu-dresden.de
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bernhardt
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kuhlisch
authors.forename: Matthias C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Eckelt
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stadlinger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001863:Bone Screws; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development / Q000601:surgery*; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D016348:Osseointegration; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D017356:Synchrotrons; D013997:Time Factors; D014025:Titanium; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium