Dental implants with electrochemical nanopattern formation to increase osseointegration

Abstract

An electrochemical nanopattern formation (ENF) surface treatment was developed to overcome the limitations of conventional surface treatments. This study aimed to evaluate the cytocompatibility and preclinical efficacy of the newly developed ENF surfaces in comparison to conventional surfaces. The cytocompatibility of human mesenchymal stem cells, degree of bone formation, bone-to-implant contact (BIC) ratio, and implant stability quotient (ISQ) were investigated using rabbit and beagle models. Overall, the ENF surfaces showed greater cytocompatibility than other surfaces. The ISQs of implants in rabbit tibias showed that ENF surfaces provided greater stability than other surfaces. In contrast, the ISQs of implants in beagle mandibles were similar for ENF and sandblasted large-grit acid-etched (SLA) surfaces. In the rabbit model, the degree of bone formation and BIC ratio were significantly higher for ENF surfaces than for other surfaces. However, the removal torque (RT) during implant removal was significantly higher for SLA surfaces than ENF surfaces. Thus, it was confirmed that ENF-treated dental implants can replace conventional implants, but further research is required to improve the surface roughness to increase the RT.