Preliminary evaluation of titanium-coated PEEK dental implants

A total of 40 titanium-coated and uncoated polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cylindrical implants was placed in unicortical sites in the femurs of four mongrel dogs. The implants were evaluated mechanically and histologically at periods of four and eight weeks. Interface attachment strength was determined for each specimen, as were measurements of bone contact, porosity, bone ingrowth, inflammatory response, and mode of failure. Statistical analysis revealed that the uncoated implants had a significantly higher interface shear strength at four weeks, but that there was no significant difference from the coated implants at eight weeks. At both four and eight weeks, the titanium-coated specimens had significantly higher percentages of bone contact. There was no significant increase in bone contact between four and eight weeks for either the coated or uncoated specimens.