Fast element mapping of titanium wear around implants of different surface structures

The effect of unintended titanium release around oral implants remains a biological concern. The current study was undertaken to evaluate a new detection system of element mapping in biological probes. A new scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy detection method was used to map the features of titanium contamination in peri-implant bone around implants with different surface structures. The amount of titanium wear was highest adjacent to titanium-plasma-sprayed surfaces, followed by sandblastered large grid acid-etched and smooth surfaces. A high sensitivity of titanium detection over large areas of bone tissue was observed. A high spatial resolution of titanium wear particles (20 nm) could be reached and correlated to the ultrastructural morphological features of peri-implant tissue. Cells adjacent to titanium wear revealed no signs of morphological alterations on a nanoscale level at early periods of implant/bone interaction. The new technique may serve as a fast and effective tool to evaluate titanium release effects in biological probes.