Progressive plateau root form dental implant osseointegration: A human retrieval study

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials science
• Dental implantology
• Tissue engineering

Background:

• Human implant retrieval studies are crucial for understanding osseointegration.
• Previous research highlighted bone remodeling at the implant interface.
• A comprehensive database correlating functional loading time with osseointegration metrics in humans was lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the hypothesis that bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and bone area fraction occupancy (BAFO) increase with functional loading time.
• To evaluate the impact of functional loading duration on osseointegration around dental implants.
• To establish a human implant retrieval database for analyzing osseointegration variables.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 93 human implant retrievals from Bicon LLC, spanning approximately 15 years.
• Histomorphometric evaluation of implants subjected to functional loading from 120 days to ~18 years.
• Assessment of BIC and BAFO in relation to implant surface, dimensions, jaw location, and functional loading duration.

Main Results:

• Both bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and bone area fraction occupancy (BAFO) demonstrated a significant increase over functional loading time.
• Osseointegration improvements were observed independently of implant surface type, diameter, length, jaw location, or region.
• The findings support the hypothesis that longer functional loading enhances osseointegration.

Conclusions:

• Functional loading time is a critical factor positively influencing osseointegration around dental implants.
• Osseointegration progresses over time, leading to increased BIC and BAFO.
• The study provides valuable human data on osseointegration dynamics, independent of specific implant characteristics.