The effect of micro-motion on the tissue response around immediately loaded roughened titanium implants in the rabbit

Initial osteogenesis at the implant interface is, to a great extent, determined by the implant surface characteristics and the interfacial loading conditions. The present study investigated the effect of various degrees of relative movement on the tissue differentiation around a roughened screw-shaped immediately loaded implant. Repeated-sampling bone chambers were installed in the tibia of 10 rabbits. In each of the chambers, three experiments were performed by inducing 0 (control), 30, and 90 microm implant displacement for 9 wk. A linear mixed model and a logistic mixed model with alpha = 5% determined statistical significance. Tissue filling of the bone chamber was similar for the three test conditions. The bone area fraction was significantly higher for 90 microm implant displacement compared with no displacement. A significantly higher fraction of bone trabeculae was found for 30 and 90 microm implant displacement compared with the unloaded situation. The incidence of osteoid-to-implant and bone-to-implant contact was significantly higher for 90 microm implant displacement compared with 30 and 0 microm implant displacement. Significantly more osteoid in contact with the implant was found for the loaded conditions compared with no loading. Well-controlled micro-motion positively influenced bone formation at the interface of a roughened implant. An improved bone reaction was detected with increasing micro-motion.