Influence of chitosan and Cissus quandrangularis coating on osseointegration in titanium implants in rabbits: A...

Titanium (Ti) implants has been criticized for the tiring wait for osseointegration, often making the patient reconsider implant treatment. Surface treated Ti implants are emerging as a promising solution with superior osseointegration, early loading protocols and shortened period of edentulousness. The aim of this study is to assess the osseointegration of Ti surface coated with novel Cissus quandrangularis Chitosan Hydrogel (CqChH) compared to Commercially pure (Cp) implants.

24 Cp Ti implants were divided into 2 subgroups (n = 12). The test group consisted of Ti implants surface treated with the novel hydrogel and control group consisted of Cp Ti implants. 3 % CqChH was prepared and was coated on the Ti implants prior to placement in the femur and tibial heads of rabbits. Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ) was recorded at the 6th and 12th week. Animals were sacrificed and subjected to Removal Torque Quotient (RTQ). The samples were retrieved en bloc and stained for histopathologic analysis. The collected data was subjected to statistical analysis using Unpaired student t-Test.

At the end of 6th week CqChH coated implants did not show any statistically significant difference in both ISQ and RTQ values compared to Cp ones. However, at the end of the 12th week CqChH coated implants demonstrated significantly higher ISQ (73.91 ± 4.39) and RTQ (75.96 ± 14.10) compared to Cp ones.

This study demonstrated that the novel hydrogel coating applied to the implant's surface exhibited not only enhanced bone regeneration but also elicited a new bone formation.