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Updated: Apr 15, 2026
3D Planning and Printing of Patient Specific Implants for Reconstruction of Bony Defects
Published on: August 4, 2020
Section plane selection influences the results of histomorphometric studies: the example of dental implants
Sigmar Kopp1, Mareike Warkentin, Ferenc Öri
1Niklotstrasse 39, 18273 G ü strow, Germany. dres.kopp@t-online.de
Objectives:
This study was designed to determine and statistically analyze bone-to-implant contact (BIC) values for human specimens segmented in at least two different locations.
Materials And Methods:
Samples of human bone with fractured osseointegrated implants were obtained from six patients. Sections were prepared, dehydrated, and resin infiltrated. Undecalcified bone sections were produced using the thin-section technique according to Donath, ultimately obtaining a section thickness of approximately 20 μm. Fifteen specimens were available for histomorphometry. The bone sections were digitized and analyzed. The bone-to-metal contact (BMC) parameter was determined histomorphometrically. The BMC was returned in terms of the visibly bone-covered implant surfaces as a percentage of the total implant surface shown.
Results:
The values obtained for the six implants were arranged as six maximum-distance pairs and tested for significance using the t-test for dependent samples. The mean difference in BIC was 11.69±9.79%. The two-sided test showed a significant difference (p=0.033).
Conclusion:
The accidental or deliberate choice of section plane for a bone-implant block has an influence on the BIC value. To make BIC values more comparable, a standardization of section planes is desirable.
