Osseous reactions to bimetallic couples composed of amalgam and gold implanted in rat tibias

Small, bimetallic couples were manufactured by condensing dental amalgam against a gold post which has been placed in polyethylene tubing. These devices were placed in rat tibias and osseous reactions were evaluated microscopically up to 112 days after surgery. The low current levels generated by the bimetallic couples used in this study did not affect the healing rate of the surgical osseous defect. Statistical analysis demonstrated that there were equal amounts of bone deposited at the anodes and cathodes of the experimental implants at all time intervals studied. The small currents produced by experimental implants did not interfere with the normal healing process, and the implications of this study in clinical situations are discussed.