Histomorphometric evaluation of immediately loaded SSII implants of different surface treatments in a dog model

This study compared splint (experimental) and nonsplint (control) methods for immediately loaded implants and examined the bone-implant contact rate for smooth, oxidized, and resorbable blast medium (RBM) surfaces. The first through fourth mandibular premolars were extracted from six young adult dogs. Twelve weeks after extraction, implantation was performed at the extraction sites. The SSII OSSTEM implant had one of three surface treatments: smooth, oxidized, or RBM. Sixteen weeks after implantation, the dogs were euthanized; the hemimandibles were obtained and processed histologically to obtain nondecalcified sections. Longitudinal sections were made for each implant and analyzed using light microscopy. Independent of the splinting method, a significantly higher bone-implant contact was observed for implants with oxidized and RBM surfaces when compared with implants with smooth surfaces. Irrespective of the splinting method, immediately loaded implants with oxidized and RBM surfaces may result in higher bone-implant integration when compared with implants with smooth surfaces.