title: Machined and sandblasted human dental implants retrieved after 5 years: a histologic and histomorphometric analysis of three cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human retrieved implants with an intact bone-implant interface play a pivotal role in validating data obtained from in vitro studies and animal experiments. This study presents a histologic and histomorphometric analysis of peri-implant tissue reactions and of the bone-titanium interface in three machined and sandblasted dental implants retrieved after a 5-year loading period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three implants, with an intact bone-implant interface, were found in the Archives of the Implant Retrieval Center of the Dental School of the University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy. The three implants had been used in a two-stage submerged procedure and loaded as part of a small prosthetic restoration. One implant had been retrieved because of an abutment fracture, while there was a fracture of the connecting screw in the other two. One implant was in the maxilla (sandblasted surface), and two were in the mandible (one with a machined surface and the other with a sandblasted surface). All implants had been processed for histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All three implants presented mature, compact, lamellar bone at the interface. Many remodeling areas were present in the peri-implant bone, especially inside the implant threads. The bone was always in close contact with the implant surface. The bone-implant contact percentage of the machined implant was 92.7%, while the two sandblasted implants showed bone-implant contact percentages of 85.9% and 76.6%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present histologic results confirmed that these implants with different surfaces maintained a good level of osseointegration over a 5-year loading period, with continuous remodeling at the interface, and showed high bone-implant contact percentages.
authors.affiliation: Dental School, University of Chieti-Pescara, Via Dei Vestini 21, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iezzi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vantaggiato
authors.forename: Jamil A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shibli
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fiera
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falco
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piattelli
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perrotti
mesh_terms: D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous; D015921:Dental Implants; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D020878:Device Removal; D006801:Humans; D016348:Osseointegration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants