title: Bone response to a novel Ti-Ta-Nb-Zr alloy.
abstract: Commercially pure titanium (cp-Ti) is regarded as the state-of-the-art material for bone-anchored dental devices, whereas the mechanically stronger alloy (Ti-6Al-4V), made of titanium, aluminum (Al) and vanadium (V), is regarded as the material of choice for high-load applications. There is a call for the development of new alloys, not only to eliminate the potential toxic effect of Al and V but also to meet the challenges imposed on dental and maxillofacial reconstructive devices, for example. The present work evaluates a novel, dual-stage, acid-etched, Ti-Ta-Nb-Zr alloy implant, consisting of elements that create low toxicity, with the potential to promote osseointegration in vivo. The alloy implants (denoted Ti-Ta-Nb-Zr) were evaluated after 7 days and 28 days in a rat tibia model, with reference to commercially pure titanium grade 4 (denoted Ti). Analyses were performed with respect to removal torque, histomorphometry and gene expression. The Ti-Ta-Nb-Zr showed a significant increase in implant stability over time in contrast to the Ti. Further, the histological and gene expression analyses suggested faster healing around the Ti-Ta-Nb-Zr, as judged by the enhanced remodeling, and mineralization, of the early-formed woven bone and the multiple positive correlations between genes denoting inflammation, bone formation and remodeling. Based on the present experiments, it is concluded that the Ti-Ta-Nb-Zr alloy becomes osseointegrated to at least a similar degree to that of pure titanium implants. This alloy is therefore emerging as a novel implant material for clinical evaluation.
authors.affiliation: BIOMATCELL VINN Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Sweden; Department of Chemistry, Materials and Surfaces, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Box 857, SE-501 15 Borås, Sweden; Department of Biomaterials, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 412, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden. Electronic address: patrik.stenlund@sp.se.
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stenlund
authors.affiliation: BIOMATCELL VINN Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Sweden; Department of Biomaterials, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 412, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.affiliation: BIOMATCELL VINN Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Sweden; Sandvik Coromant R&D, SE-126 80 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulrika
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Brohede
authors.affiliation: BIOMATCELL VINN Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Sweden; Sandvik Coromant R&D, SE-126 80 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Engineering Sciences, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Norgren
authors.affiliation: BIOMATCELL VINN Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Sweden; Department of Biomaterials, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 412, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Norlindh
authors.affiliation: BIOMATCELL VINN Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Sweden; Department of Biomaterials, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 412, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.affiliation: BIOMATCELL VINN Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Sweden; Department of Chemistry, Materials and Surfaces, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Box 857, SE-501 15 Borås, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lausmaa
authors.affiliation: BIOMATCELL VINN Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Sweden; Department of Biomaterials, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 412, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.affiliation: BIOMATCELL VINN Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Sweden; Department of Biomaterials, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 412, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmquist
mesh_terms: D000497:Alloys / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects*; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; C000604689:Ti-10.1Ta-1.7Nb-1.6Zr alloy
keywords: Gene expression; Osseointegration; Removal torque; Tantalum (Ta); Titanium alloy