Influence of biomaterial surface texture on bone ingrowth in the rabbit femur

The purpose of this study was to examine both the histologic and the mechanical characteristics of bone apposition to an experimental surface, arc-deposited titanium, in a rabbit model and to compare them with those of four previously studied surfaces: one layer of cobalt-chromium beads, three layers of cobalt-chromium beads, plasma-sprayed cobalt-chromium, and uncoated titanium alloy. Bilateral cylindrical implants were press-fit into the lateral femoral condyles of 70 adult New Zealand White rabbits, which were allowed unrestricted activity and then killed at 6 or 12 weeks. The distal femora were harvested, radiographed, and prepared for either mechanical or histologic evaluation. All of the implants with coated surfaces had significantly greater shear strength than the implants of grit-blasted titanium alloy after both 6 and 12 weeks. After 6 weeks, maximum bone apposition occurred in the beaded surfaces. After 12 weeks, the shear strengths and bone apposition of implants of arc-deposited titanium and of one and three layers of cobalt-chromium beads were significantly greater than those of implants of plasma-sprayed cobalt-chromium and grit-blasted titanium alloy. The histologic studies correlated with the mechanical results. After 12 weeks, the bone apposition and mechanical stability of arc-deposited titanium were similar to those of a single layer of beads. There appeared to be no advantage to multiple layers of beads, and the plasma-sprayed cobalt-chromium and grit-blasted titanium surfaces showed lower shear strength and bone apposition than the other groups.