Biomechanical and Histomorphometrical Evaluation of TiZr Alloy Implants: An in vivo Study in the Rabbit
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Updated: Apr 14, 2026
Calvarial Model of Bone Augmentation in Rabbit for Assessment of Bone Growth and Neovascularization in Bone Substitution Materials
Published on: August 13, 2019
Ryo Jimbo1, Yoshihito Naito2, Silvia Galli1
1Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden.
Background:
Clinically, there is a demand for mechanically stronger alloyed implants; however, not much evidence exists with regard to these materials.
Purpose:
To test the osseointegration property of TiZr1317 implants in a rabbit model.
Materials And Methods:
Hydrophilic titanium-zirconium alloy (TiZr1317) implants with sand-blasted and acid-etched surface (test) and hydrophilic cpTi implants with the same treatment (control) were placed pairwise in the hind limbs (two in each tibia and one in each femur) of 36 Swedish lop-eared rabbits. After 2, 4, and 12 weeks (n = 12/time point), the bone samples were subjected to removal torque (RTQ, proximal tibia and femur) and histologic/histomorphometric (distal tibia) testings.
Results:
The control presented significantly higher RTQ than the test at 2 weeks (55 vs 36 Ncm). No differences were observed for other time points. The test presented higher mean BIC than the control (19.25 vs 13.89 %) at 4 weeks; however, there were no statistical differences for the following time point tested in vivo.The new bone area was significantly higher for the test at 4 weeks in the marrow areas.
Conclusion:
The TiZr1317 implants presented comparable biologic outcomes to that of the cpTi implants through a 12-week evaluation period.
