title: A new device for improving dental implants anchorage: a histological and micro-computed tomography study in the rabbit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the present study, a new healing cap that could generate a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) around titanium implants to stimulate peri-implant osteogenesis was tested in the rabbit model.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 22 implants were inserted in the proximal tibial metaphysis of 22 rabbits. A healing cap containing the active device was inserted in half of the implants (11 test implants); an "empty" healing cap was inserted in the other ones (11 control implants). The animals were euthanized after 2 and 4 weeks, and the samples were processed for micro-computed tomography and histology. The peri-implant volume was divided into coronal (where the PEMF was the strongest) and apical regions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the effects of the tested device were confined to the coronal region. Two weeks post-implantation, test implants showed a significant 56% higher trabecular bone fraction (BV/TV), associated with enhanced trabecular number (Tb.N, +37%) and connectivity density (Conn.D, +73%) as compared to the control group; at 4 weeks, the PEMF induced a 69% increase in BV/TV and 34% increase of Tb.N. There was no difference in the trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) at either time point. Furthermore, we observed a 48% higher bone-to-implant contact (BIC) in the test implants vs. controls after 2 weeks; this increase tended to remain stable until the fourth week. Mature trabecular and woven bone were observed in direct contact with the implant surface with no gaps or connective tissue at the bone-implant interface.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that the PEMF device stimulated early bone formation around dental implants resulting in higher peri-implant BIC and bone mass already after 2 weeks which suggests an acceleration of the osseointegration process by more than three times.
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barak
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neuman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iezzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piattelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perrotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy & Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yankel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gabet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000069343:Bone-Implant Interface; D015921:Dental Implants; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D023421:Models, Animal; D016348:Osseointegration; D010012:Osteogenesis; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011817:Rabbits; D014025:Titanium; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants; D014025:Titanium
keywords: animal study; dental implants; healing cap; histology; micro-computed tomography; osseointegration