An evaluation of electrodischarged prototype implants in rabbit tibia: a preliminary study

This is the first in a series of biological investigations using a porous implant fabricated by a novel process known as electrodischarge compaction (EDC). This process uses Ti-6A1-4V powder and electrical energy to construct a beaded porous implant without any compromise in physical characteristics, often found with conventional sintering. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bone response in rabbit tibia of a porous titanium prototype implant fabricated by this new technique. One hundred forty-four porous EDC-fabricated implants were placed into the tibia of 36 New Zealand rabbits. Animals were placed into one of six time periods (2, 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 weeks). At the appropriate time period, animals were killed, and bone ingrowth was evaluated qualitatively by light and scanning electron microscopy. Bone/implant interface bond strength was also measured. Slight bone ingrowth was observed as early as the two-week time period and increased in depth at each time period for the duration of the study. Implant/bone bond strength was measurable at four weeks and continued until reaching a plateau at week 12. The results of this study suggest that this novel EDC implant may be suitable for continued development of an easily fabricated, cost-effective dental implant.