Molecular assessment of osseointegration in vitro: a review of current literature

This paper presents the results of a structured review of the literature concerning in vitro molecular assessment of osseointegration at the level of cell-surface topography interactions. A search of the electronic databases was performed up to and including November 2010, with 320 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Characteristics of the included in vitro reports were model systems used, genes examined, techniques used for molecular assessment of the osseointegration process, and wide gene expression profiling studies. There exists a growing body of in vitro evidence to support a role for surface topography in the direct influence of cellular phenotypes as related to the process of osseointegration. Most recently, functional or mechanistic studies have provided evidence that particular topographic cues can be specifically integrated among the many extracellular signals received by the cell in its signal transduction network. Such investigations begin to define linkages between the character of the implant surface and adherent cellular responses, including cells from extravasated blood (eg, platelets) and of the immune system (eg, monocytes). In vitro studies involving cell culture on endosseous implant-related biomaterials offer important and beneficial insight into the clinical control of the implant-bone interface.