title: Early healing events around titanium implant devices with different surface microtopography: a pilot study in an in vivo rabbit model.
abstract: In the present pilot study, the authors morphologically investigated sandblasted, acid-etched surfaces (SLA) at very early experimental times. The tested devices were titanium plate-like implants with flattened wide lateral sides and jagged narrow sides. Because of these implant shape and placement site, the device gained a firm mechanical stability but the largest portion of the implant surface lacked direct contact with host bone and faced a wide peri-implant space rich in marrow tissue, intentionally created in order to study the interfacial interaction between metal surface and biological microenvironment. The insertion of titanium devices into the proximal tibia elicited a sequence of healing events. Newly formed bone proceeded through an early distance osteogenesis, common to both surfaces, and a delayed contact osteogenesis which seemed to follow different patterns at the two surfaces. In fact, SLA devices showed a more osteoconductive behavior retaining a less dense blood clot, which might be earlier and more easily replaced, and leading to a surface-conditioning layer which promotes osteogenic cell differentiation and appositional new bone deposition at the titanium surface. This model system is expected to provide a starting point for further investigations which clarify the early cellular and biomolecular events occurring at the metal surface.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomical Sciences and Physiopathology of Locomotor Apparatus, Human Anatomy Section, University of Bologna, via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bologna, Italy. ester.orsini@unibo.it
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orsini
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salgarello
authors.forename: Désirée
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bacchelli
authors.forename: Marilisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quaranta
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pisoni
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bellei
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Joechler
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ottani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D023421:Models, Animal; D016348:Osseointegration; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011817:Rabbits; D013499:Surface Properties; D013977:Tibia; D014025:Titanium
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium