Rigid endosseous implants for orthodontic and orthopedic anchorage

Clinical rigidity ("osseointegration") was achieved by 94 percent of the titanium implants placed in dog mandibles. All loaded implants remained rigid. Inadvertent impingement on the periodontal ligament and roots of adjacent teeth was uneventful. Microradiographic imaging was more reliable than polarized light microscopy for assessing bone contact at the endosseous interface. Implants with less than 10 percent of the endosseous interface in direct contact with bone successfully resisted a continuous load of 3 N (greater than 300 grams) for 13 weeks.