Evaluation of Protein Adsorption and Osseointegration Potential of Polyetheretherketone versus Titanium Dental Implants: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: The success of implant therapy depends on a number of parameters, including bone volume implant shape, surface topography, the patient’s overall health, and local factors. Despite the fact that polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implants have undergone a lot of alterations, only a small number of studies have examined the bioactivity and osseointegration of PEEK implants with titanium. Aim: To summarise and evaluate protein adsorption and osseointegration capacity of PEEK and titanium dental implants. Materials and Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used and PROSPERO (CRD42023415494) registration was done. Electronic databases were searched for studies assessing the outcome in terms of protein adsorption and osseointegration capacity of PEEK and titanium dental implants. Quality assessment of included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results: Depending on inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in qualitative synthesis. Risk of bias assessment revealed that all the included studies were largely comparable in methodological quality. All the included studies had moderate to low-risk of bias with all the respective domains. All the included studies revealed that PEEK with optimal surface roughness might hold great potential for protein adsorption and osseointegration capacity. Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study, it was found that compared to titanium, PEEK is less osseoconductive and bioactive. PEEK is therefore unsuitable for use as a dental implant in its unmodified form. Implantitis and implant failure occurs from improper osseoconductivity and bioactivity of dental implants.