Translocation of autogenous bone particles to improve peri-implant osteogenesis

During the placement of titanium implants into bone, particles are loosened and translocated as a result of the inherent roughness of the surface. Such bone particles have been shown to play a significant role in new bone formation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to establish a new regenerative procedure, which can be implemented immediately during surgery, to provide implants with additional autogenous bone particles. Thereafter, we investigated the effect of such 'bone-coated' implants on the healing response. In our model, dental screw-type implants were placed in the iliac crests of goats, following three approaches: (a) implants were placed, then removed while retaining bone debris on the surface, and subsequently placed into freshly prepared holes; (b) new implants were installed in the donor sites from group 1; and (c) control implants were inserted according to the standard protocol. After 3 weeks, microcomputed tomography and histomorphometerical analyses on bone-implant contact (BIC) and bone area (BA) were performed. The results showed that the retained bone debris in group 1 was viable bone-like tissue when cultured in vitro. In vivo histological results showed a significantly higher BIC for the 'bone-coated' (43.42 ± 11.29%) compared to the control (28.15 ± 11.86%) implants. Also, adjacent to the implants a significantly higher BA was found for 'bone-coated' implants (39.51 ± 11.17%) compared to the controls (31.92 ± 10.25%). Notably, no detrimental effects were noticed for the 'donor-site' positions. In conclusion, the transported autogenous bone particles accelerated peri-implant osteogenesis. Clinical studies are needed to evaluate the potential of this procedure in clinical practice.