title: SPECT analysis of a new implant surface: a human preliminary report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several recent medical reports have focused attention on the possible application of skeletal scintigraphy imaging in odontostomatology. The aim of the present report was to assess the influence of a new implant surface on peri-implant osteoblastic activity through bone scintigraphy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Implants were placed in one healthy subject. A nuclear medicine investigation with single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) was performed at 30 and 90 days after implant placement. The study was completed with acquisition of planar images of the skull in an anterior view and the use of regions of interest (ROIs) of the same size in the area corresponding to new surfaces implants and in the opposite maxilla (at the control sites). Count density ratios (counts/pixel) obtained from each ROI were used for a quantitative/relative assessment. Tomographic images were evaluated with a qualitative method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Routine planar methodology provided a direct measure of cellular activity of the examined areas. The difference in count density ratio registered from the same ROI between the first and the second scintigraphy revealed the course of peri-implant osteoblastic activity, which was very high in the first month and then declined during subsequent months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In spite of the small number of involved patients, the results obtained from this pilot study suggest that nuclear medicine investigation held advantages in oral implantology to clarify those aspects still unknown dealing with osteoblastic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialistic, Clinical and Stomatological Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bambini
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialistic, Clinical and Stomatological Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santarelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialistic, Clinical and Stomatological Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ciavaglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialistic, Clinical and Stomatological Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Umberto I Hospital, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pessina
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giannatempo
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Pathophysiology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Rodella
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Verona, Verona, Italy - dario.bertossi@univr.it.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bertossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lo Muzio