Abstract
We present here a protocol for the combined microstructural and biomechanical evaluation of endosseous titanium implant anchorage. The protocol is highly relevant for orthopedic and oral surgery experimentalists studying endosseous implantation, a discipline comprising ~150 publications yearly. The protocol is based on (i) insertion of titanium mini-implants horizontally into the rat proximal tibial metaphysis; (ii) quantitative microstructural evaluation by micro-computed tomography, including assessment of the bone-implant contact; (iii) correction of the bias due to implant positioning; (iv) biomechanical pullout testing using a customized jig for linear axial loading. A highlight of the protocol is image guided failure assessment consisting of time-lapsed biomechanical-microstructural analysis of the peri-implant bone deformation during implant pullout. Using this protocol we have demonstrated highly significant correlations between key microstructural and mechanical parameters. More importantly, we showed how changes to the metabolic state of the organism, like gonadectomy and bone anabolic agents, as well as implant surface properties affect the distribution and magnitude of critical strains in the peri-implant bone.
Highlights
The use of uncemented titanium endosseous implants for restorative dentistry and orthopaedic surgery has been the standard of care for several decades
In the present study we report a rat model that combines implantation of titanium screw into a skeletal site that consists of both cortical and trabecular bone, with μCT analysis of OI and peri-implant bone (PIB) parameters and biomechanical testing
Results of quantitative μCT parameters, aimed at providing a method for correcting the positional errors occurring at the time of implantation, Using settings of the μCT apparatus that result in enhanced X-ray was performed in the proximal tibial metaphysis at the six week time point
Summary
The use of uncemented titanium endosseous implants for restorative dentistry and orthopaedic surgery has been the standard of care for several decades. Qualitative and quantitative ex vivo analysis of peri-implant tissues is typically done by means of light microscopy using thin histological sections following implant removal or thicker ground sections which contain the implant and undecalcified bone [1,2] Over the last 15 years, high-resolution micro-CT has set new gold-standards for the morphometric analysis of bone microarchitecture This technology is increasingly used in the experimental evaluation of endosseous implants. It does not require any specimen preparation and facilitates relatively rapid quantification based on three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the entire specimen rather than a limited number of planes typically sampled using 2D methods. It does not expose the specimen to any destructive procedures, a feature enabling combined microstructural-biomechanical evaluation attaining unrivaled insights into structure-function relationships of the bone-implant system
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