Development of a rat tibia model for morphological studies of the interface between bone and a titanium implant

Over the last decade, osseointegrated dental implants have become an integral part of the restorative dental armamentarium. Reproducible success rates approaching 100% further emphasize the importance and value of this treatment modality. Still, a significant waiting period is required between implant placement and prosthesis delivery, which necessitates a two-surgery approach for implant protection during healing. This article discusses the development of an animal model that is being used to investigate methods of manipulating the healing process of bone next to dental implants. Osseointegration has been shown to occur at 6 weeks in the rat tibia model, demonstrating many of the same characteristics seen in humans. The successful manipulation of bone next to the implant surface may ultimately lead to a surgical protocol for the placement of dental implants requiring only one surgery, significantly reducing the overall healing time.