Braz Dent J (2010) 21(6): 471-481
Invited Review Article
Implant surfaces in osseointegration
ISSN 0103-6440
471
Influence of Implant Surfaces on Osseointegration
Arthur Belém NOVAES Jr.1
Sérgio Luis Scombatti de SOUZA1
Raquel Rezende Martins de BARROS1
Karina Kimiko Yamashina PEREIRA1
Giovanna IEZZI2
Adriano PIATTELLI2
1Department
of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology and Periodontology,
Ribeirão Preto Dental School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
2Dental School, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
The biological fixation between the dental implant surfaces and jaw bones should be considered a prerequisite for the long-term success
of implant-supported prostheses. In this context, the implant surface modifications gained an important and decisive place in implant
research over the last years. As the most investigated topic in, it aided the development of enhanced dental treatment modalities and
the expansion of dental implant use. Nowadays, a large number of implant types with a great variety of surface properties and other
features are commercially available and have to be treated with caution. Although surface modifications have been shown to enhance
osseointegration at early implantation times, for example, the clinician should look for research evidence before selecting a dental
implant for a specific use. This paper reviews the literature on dental implant surfaces by assessing in vitro and in vivo studies to
show the current perspective of implant development. The review comprises quantitative and qualitative results on the analysis of
bone-implant interface using micro and nano implant surface topographies. Furthermore, the perspective of incorporating biomimetic
molecules (e.g.: peptides and bone morphogenetic proteins) to the implant surface and their effects on bone formation and remodeling
around implants are discussed.
Key Words: dental implants, topography, surface modifications, biomimetic coating, osseointegration.
INTRODUCTION
Osseointegration is seen as the close contact
between bone and implant (1), and the interest on surface
engineering has to be understood as an important and
natural trend. The bone response, which means rate,
quantity and quality, are related to implant surface
properties. For example, the composition and charges
are critical for protein adsorption and cell attachment
(2). Hydrophilic surfaces seem to favor the interactions
with biological fluids and cells when compared to the
hydrophobic ones (3,4), and hydrophilicity is affected
by the surface chemical composition.
Various techniques of surface treatments have
been studied and applied to improved biological
surface properties, which favors the mechanism of
osseointegration (5,6). This strategy aims at promoting
the mechanism of osseointegration with faster and
stronger bone formation, to confer better stability during
the healing process, thus allowing more rapid loading
of the implant (7,8).
Some of the objectives for the development of
implant surface modifications are to improve the clinical
performance in areas with poor quantity or quality of
bone, to accelerate the bone healing and thereby allowing
immediate or early loading protocols and also stimulating
bone growth in order to permit implant placement in sites
that lack sufficient residual alveolar ridge, thus providing
them a jumping gap ability, for example.
Implant morphology influences bone metabolism:
rougher surfaces stimulates differentiation, growth and
attachment of bone cells, and increases mineralization;
furthermore, the degree of roughness is important.
Implants may have “smooth” (machined) or rough
Correspondence: Prof. Dr. Arthur B. Novaes Jr., Departamento de Cirurgia, Traumatologia Buco-Maxilo-Facial e Periodontia, Faculdade de
Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café, S/N, 14040-904 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil. Tel: +55-16-3602-3979.
Fax: +55-16-3602-4788. e-mail: novaesjr@forp.usp.br
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A.B. Novaes Jr. et al.
surfaces. The main methods that are reported in
the literature to create implant roughness are acid
etching, sandblasting, titanium plasma spraying and
hydroxyapatite (HA) coating. A current tendency is the
manufacturing of implants with micro and submicro
(nano) topography. Furthermore, the biofunctionalization
of implants surfaces, by adding different substances to
improve its biological characteristics, has also been
recently investigated (8-10).
However, the large number of commercially
available implant types, varying in surface properties
and other features (11) have to be treated with caution.
Considering that different methods for implant surface
engineering may lead to different and unique surface
properties that might affect the host-to-implant response,
it seems to be reasonable to test new implant surfaces
as new biomaterials (12). The evaluation should ideally
follow a hierarchical approach, where in vitro testing
followed by in vivo animal studies evolves to clinical
trials in humans (13).
This paper reviews the literature on dental implant
surfaces by assessing in vitro and in vivo studies to show
the current perspective of implant development.
IN VITRO STUDIES
Cell culture models are routinely used to study the
response of osteoblastic cells in contact with different
substrates for implantation in bone tissue. Cell cultures
focused on the morphological aspect, growth capacity
and the state of differentiation of the cells on materials
with various chemical, composition and topography (14).
The literature shows that the biochemistry and
topography of biomaterials’ surfaces play a key role
on success or failure upon placement in a biological
environment (15). Wettability, texture, chemical
composition and surface topography are properties of the
biomaterials that directly influence their interaction with
cells (16-18). The interactions of cells and extracellular
matrix affect directly the cellular processes of adhesion,
proliferation and differentiation (19). Thus, the surface
properties of biomaterials are essential to the response
of cells at biomaterial interface, affecting the growth
and quality of newly formed bone tissue (16,17,20).
In the search for new methods, much attention
has been focused on topographical characteristics,
especially changes in surface roughness. In vitro studies
have shown that osteoblastic cells attach, spread and
proliferate more rapidly on smooth surfaces than on
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rough ones (21). However, osteoblasts present higher rate
of differentiation and matrix mineralization and higher
production of growth factors in the presence of rough
substrates (22). Also, bone matrix proteins, alkaline
phosphatase and osteocalcin, important indicators of
osteogenic differentiation and bone tissue formation,
have been shown to express at higher levels on rougher
titanium surfaces (23).
The literature has shown that the surface
topography of titanium can be modified by different
treatments, in order to obtain a surface with specific
properties, which have direct influence on the process
of osseointegration (24,25). It has been suggested that
surface roughness in 1-2 μm range are beneficial for
biomechanical anchorage of dental implants (26).
Methods for altering surface texture can be
classified as either techniques that add particles on the
biomaterial, creating a surface with bumps (additive
mechanisms), and techniques that remove material
from the surface, creating pits or pores (subtraction
mechanisms). Examples of additive processes are: HA
and calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings, titanium plasmasprayed and ion deposition. Examples of subtraction
processes are: electro- or mechanical polishing, gritblasting, acid-etching, grit-blasting followed by acidetching and oxidation (27).
Numerous reports demonstrate that the surface
roughness of titanium implants affects the rate of
osseointegration through the speed and amount of
bone tissue formed at the interface. Comparison of the
behavior of different cell types on materials shows that
they are influenced by surface roughness (28).
Roughness gradients of osteoblastic cells increase
proliferation in close correlation with increasing surface
roughness. It was observed doubling of the rate of
osteoblast proliferation on titanium blasted with TiO2
particles compared to smooth surfaces (29,30). Similar
results are reported using discs blasted with SiO2 particles
(31), and Al2O3 particles (29).
Subcultures of rat osteogenic cells grown on
grit-blasted and acid-etched surfaces demonstrated
significant formation of bone-like nodules (32). MG63
osteoblast-like cells (human osteosarcoma cell line)
cultured on rough titanium surfaces exhibited increased
adhesion and phenotype differentiation, and higher levels
of growth factors compared to smooth ones (4).
There is agreement that the microtopography
creates an environment favorable for cells and cellextracellular matrix interactions (33) and increases
Implant surfaces in osseointegration
production of growth factors (34). The microtopography
provides increased cell differentiation of osteogenic
cells, resulting in high activity of alkaline phosphatase
and osteocalcin synthesis (35).
Recent studies have shown that the association of
different topographies may be beneficial. Indeed, using
osteogenic cell culture models, synergistic effects of
substrates with micron- and submicron-scale resulting
in bone tissue formation have been reported (30,32).
Titanium surfaces with microtopography and additional
submicrotopography have been shown to promote early
development of mineralized matrix, which was observed
occasionally on the surfaces with microtopography and
was absent on machined surfaces (36).
The cellular behavior is also influenced by surfaces
with nanomorphology. The complex interactions cellmatrix-substrate and cell signaling events occur at the
nanoscale (37,38). Different signaling pathways regulate
adhesion, migration, differentiation and gene expression
in osteoblasts cells (39). Thus, it has been shown that
different nanotopography influence protein adsorption,
cell adhesion, cell proliferation and synthesis, and
secretion of extracellular matrix molecules in vitro (37).
Nanoporous surfaces topography tend to favor
the proliferation and differentiation processes, acting
directly on the selective adhesion of osteoblastic cells
on the surface, which can accelerate the healing process
around implants (27,37).
In the same way as microstrutureted surfaces,
nanotopographies can be created by techniques such as
anodization and oxidation. The production of substrates
with nanoporous surfaces appears to strongly influence
the host response at both cellular and tissue levels (12).
473
A recent report demonstrated that titanium surfaces
with nanotopographies obtained from H2SO4/H2O2
mixture can promote osteoblast proliferation and inhibit
fibroblast growth (40). It was found that titanium surface
modifications on the nanoscale alters the adhesion,
spreading, and growth of osteoblastic cells. Furthermore
the extracellular accumulation of osteopontin and
bone sialoprotein, two major bone matrix proteins,
increased significantly on the titanium substrate with
nanotopography, indicating that cellular differentiation
is accelerated, and the proteins are adsorbed more
efficiently on the nanostrutured substrates (41).
At the present moment, a huge number of
experimental investigations have clearly demonstrated
that the bone response is influenced by the implant
surface topography. Furthermore, more recent data,
have suggested that titanium surface modifications
with bioactive molecules enhance and/or accelerates the
process of osteoblastic differentiation. As the molecules
are integrated into the structure of the implant, they are
released gradually, acting as a slow release system of
osteogenic agents at the implantation site (42) (Fig. 1).
Among all engineering-based implant surface
modifications, the CaP coating have received significant
attention (43). The interest of using this material is
because of its chemical similarity to natural bone, and
the fact that coatings can be applied along the implant
surfaces by different industrial processing methods.
Biomimetic CaP coatings improve the osteoconductivity
of implants and show promising as slow delivery systems
for growth factors and other bioactive molecules (44).
Other examples of biochemical modifications of
biomaterial surfaces are found in the literature, such as
Figure 1. Epifluorescence of osteogenic cell cultures grown on machined (A), microstructured (B), nanostrutured (C), and synthetic
peptide coating (D) surfaces at day 3. Red indicates OPN labeling, green reveals actin cytoskeleton, and blue shows cell nuclei.
Extracellular OPN labeling is abundant and prominent in cultures grown on nanostrutured and synthetic peptide coating surfaces
(C,D). Scale bar: A-D=50 μm.
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A.B. Novaes Jr. et al.
the use of protein-like collagen, bone morphogenetic
proteins and peptides and/or protein domain (27).
The biological effects that surfaces have on cell
attachment are mainly mediated by integrins that bind
to sequences/domains arginine-glycine-aspartate (ArgGly-Asp or RGD) of proteins (45). These Arg-Gly-Asp or
RGD are expressed in several bone extracellular matrix
proteins. Titanium surfaces modified with peptides and/
or protein domains with RGD seem to facilitate the
mechanisms of adhesion and cell signaling via signal
transduction, which have shown positive effects on the
differentiation of osteoblasts (46).
Since then, researchers have studied coatings
based on peptides containing a sequence of amino acids
to promote cell adhesion to the biomaterial (47). A new
strategy in the use of bioactive molecules involves the
addition of extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen.
Coating titanium surface with collagen enhanced the
spreading of cells and speeding cell adhesion length
(48). An in vitro study using bone marrow cells also
showed that surface coating with collagen type I showed
high ALP activity, collagen synthesis, and mineralized
matrix formation (49).
A recent study comparing the development of
the osteoblastic phenotype of human alveolar bonederived cells showed that collagen type I-coated titanium
surface favors cell growth during the proliferative
phase and osteoblastic differentiation, as demonstrated
by changes in mRNA expression profile during the
matrix mineralization phase. This suggests that surface
modification may affect bone formation (50).
Some authors have used chemical modification,
such as addition of fluoride to implant surface, to
improve the biocompatibility of titanium and promote
osteogenesis. This process is based on the formation of
fluorapatite from interaction of fluoride and HA present
Figure 2. Histologic images evidencing a high level of bone-implant contact achieved with different improvements on implant surfaces.
A= Sandblasted and acid-etched; B= Nanostructured; C= Anodized; D= Biofunctionalized.
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Implant surfaces in osseointegration
in bone tissue, followed by promotion of osteoblast
proliferation and stimulation of alkaline phosphatase
activity. Currently, there are implants treated with
fluoride as a biomimetic agent, commercially available
for clinical use (51).
Despite the interesting results in vitro it seems
that more research is still needed to enhance our
understanding of how this surface modifications actually
promotes fast osseointegration.
IN VIVO ANIMAL STUDIES
In general, cell culture studies evaluate cell
morphology, adhesion, migration, proliferation and
differentiation on implant surfaces. However, outcomes
on the initial biological behavior of new biomaterials
obtained in vitro cannot be fully correlated to in vivo
performance. Cell cultures cannot reproduce the dynamic
environment that involves the in vivo bone/implant
interaction, and their results can only be confirmed in
animal models and subsequently in clinical trials (13).
The most frequently used animal models for dental
bone-implant interface studies are rabbits and dogs. The
rabbit model has some disadvantages when compared
to larger animals, such as the size when a number of
control and experimental implants are recommended per
animal. Additionally the bone structure of the tibia and
femur of rabbits (e.g.; the amount of trabecular bone),
are significantly different when compared to human.
Otherwise the canine intraoral environment provides
a bone microstructure with a trabecular/cortical ratio
similar to that found in the human mandible, in addition
to similar saliva and microflora.
Irrespective to the different animal models (rat,
rabbits, sheep, dogs, pigs or nonhuman primates) or
surgical sites, valuable information can be retrieved from
properly designed animal studies. Static and dynamic
histomorphometric parameters plus biomechanical
testing are recommended as measurable indicators of the
host/implant response where different surface designs
are compared. Bone-to-implant contact (BIC), which
that is the most often evaluated parameter in in vivo
studies, together with bone density and amount and type
of cellular content, are examples of static parameters.
Differently, mineral apposition rate and fluorescence
analysis temporally evaluates bone modeling/remodeling
processes. As dynamic measurements, they may provide
valuable information about the healing around different
implant surfaces, but these parameters are rarely used.
Finally, the biomechanical tests (torque, push-out, pullout) usually measure the amount of force that a torque
needs to fail the bone-implant interface surrounding
different implant surfaces.
Considering the several factors that influence
the osseointegration, the evaluation of the largest
possible number of host/implant response parameters
is desirable for better understanding the bone healing
around different implant surfaces (Fig. 2), clarifying
their indications of use and supporting their immediate/
early loading. For descriptive purposes, the physical
and chemical surface properties will be separated in
different categories.
Topographic Surface Modifications
Machined implant surfaces represent the starting
point of implant surface design. They were used for
decades according to the classical protocols in which
several months were required for osseointegration (52).
It has been demonstrated that the modification
on the topographic pattern of surface increases not only
the bone-implant contact, but also the biomechanical
interaction of that interface at early implantation periods
(1). Rough surfaces have found widespread use in oral
implantology and replaced implants with machined
surfaces to a great extent in clinical applications (46).
Various methods have been developed in order to
create a rough surface and improve the osseointegration
of titanium dental implants. These methods use titanium
plasma-spraying, blasting with ceramic particles, acidetching and anodization.
Titanium plasma-spraying
This method consists in injecting titanium
powders into a plasma torch at high temperature. The
titanium particles are projected onto the surface of
the implants where they condense and fuse together,
resulting in a titanium plasma sprayed (TPS) coating with
an average roughness of around 7 μm. This procedure
increases substantially the surface area of the implants.
Al-Nawas et al. (53) evaluated different types
of macro and microstructure implant surfaces in a dog
model. After a healing period of 8 weeks and a loading
period of 3 months, machined surfaces were compared
to the TPS counterparts, used as a rough control, and
also with blasted/acid-etched surface. The evaluation
of the BIC areas revealed the benefit of rough surfaces
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relative to machined ones. However, the intra-individual
difference between the TPS and the blasted/acid-etched
counterparts showed no significant difference.
In a different animal model, Klokkevold et al.
(54) compared the torque resistance to remove screwshaped titanium implants having a dual acid-etched
surface (DAE) with implants having either a machined
surface, or a TPS surface that exhibited a significantly
more complex surface topography. After implantation,
the groups of 6 rabbits were sacrificed following
1-, 2- and 3-month healing periods. Implants were
removed by reverse torque rotation with a digital torquemeasuring device. Three implants with machined surface
preparation failed to achieve endosseous integration. All
other implants were anchored by bone. Mean torque
values for machined, DAE and TPS implants at 1, 2
and 3 months were 6.00 ± 0.64 N/cm, 9.07 ± 0.67 N/cm
and 6.73 ± 0.95 N/cm; 21.86 ± 1.37 N/cm, 27.63 ± 3.41
N/cm and 27.40 ± 3.89 N/cm; and 27.48 ± 1.61 N/cm,
44.28 ± 4.53 N/cm and 59.23 ± 3.88 N/cm, respectively.
Clearly, the stability of DAE implants at the earliest time
point was comparable to that of TPS implants, while that
of the machined implants was an order of magnitude
lower. The TPS implants increased resistance to reverse
torque removal over the 3-month period. These results
indicate that dual acid etching of titanium enhances early
endosseous integration to a level that is comparable to
that achieved by the topographically more complex TPS
surfaces. Furthermore, this study confirmed an enhanced
bone anchorage to rough surface implants as compared
to machined implants.
TPS processing is one of the methods that further
increase the surface roughness profile and consequently
the surface area. Such characteristics recommend its
use in regions with low bone density (12). However,
it has to be considered that the increase in surface area
that represents an effective increase in osseointegration
area provides spaces greater than 50 μm that facilitates
the migration of pathogens when the implant surface is
exposed to the oral fluids.
Blasting with ceramic particles/acid-etching
Surface acid-etching and grit-blasting/acidetching are very diffuse methods to obtain rough implant
surfaces. A great part of the commercially available gritblasted implant surfaces are subsequently acid-etched.
Generally, the grit-blasting procedure is
performed by propulsion of particles of different sizes
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of silica (sand), alumina, titanium oxide or CaP for
example. The most commonly used acid-etching agents
are hydrofluoric, nitric, sulfuric acids and combinations.
An example of this group of surfaces was investigated by
Sammons et al. (55), evidencing a Ra value of 2.75 μm
and irregular micropores with approximately 3-5 μm in
diameter and 2-3 μm in depth. Even smaller micropores
are located within these micropores.
Novaes et al. (56) compared grit-blasted/acidetched implants to titanium plasma spray implants
immediately installed into periodontally infected sites.
The histomorphometric analyses showed percentages
of bone to implant contact of 52.7% and 42.7% for
grit-blasted/acid-etched implants and titanium plasma
spray implants, respectively. The bone density analysis
revealed percentages of 66.6% and 58.8% in the adjacent
areas of grit-blasted/acid-etched implants and titanium
plasma spray implants, respectively. These differences
between the groups were not statistically significant,
but indicated a slightly better performance of the gritblasted/acid-etched surfaces when compared to the
titanium plasma spray surface, even in a challenging
healing situation.
Recently, it was seen that changing the
sterilization and storage method of an original sandblasted/acid-etched surface is another possible way to
modify implant surface. In other words, the new surface
is rinsed under nitrogen protection to prevent exposure
to air and then stored in a sealed tube containing an
isotonic saline solution (4). This treatment obtains the
hydroxylation of titanium oxides without changing the
surface topography, this procedure improved the surface
wettability of the new surface when compared to the
original one in a statistically significant level (57).
According to animal experiments, both
biomechanical and histomorphometric evaluations
showed better results for the modified surface compared
to the original sand-blasted/acid-etched surface at early
periods. In the miniature pig model, Buser et al. (58)
investigated the interfacial stiffness values, which were
calculated from the torque-rotation curve, and found on
average 9-14% higher values for the modified surface
compared to the original sand-blasted/ acid-etched
surface. This difference was statistically significant
and they concluded that the modified provided better
bone anchorage than the original surface. Moreover,
Schwarz et al. (59) evaluated the bone regeneration in
dehiscence-type defects with these implants in beagle
dogs. After 2 weeks of healing, the modified group
Implant surfaces in osseointegration
achieved 74% of BIC, while the original group achieved
56%, and this difference was statistically significant.
However, after 12 weeks of healing, BIC was 84% for
the modified group and 76% for the original group,
without statistically significant and this difference. Thus,
it could be concluded that the modified implant surface
promoted enhanced bone apposition during the early
stages of bone formation. In accordance to this, Bornstein
et al. (60) comparing the same implant surfaces in a dog
model, showed significantly higher percentage of bone
in contact with the modified surface when compared
to the original sand-blasted/acid-etched surface after 2
weeks, but no statistically significant difference after
4 weeks of implantation. These results suggest that a
chemical modification on a microstructured implant
surface may interfere in the biomechanical and bone
apposition properties at early phases after implantation.
Electrochemical anodization
Another method that has been shown to increase
surface microtexture and change surface chemistry
is electrochemical anodization. The combination of
potentiostatic or galvanostatic anodization of titanium in
strong acids at high current density or potential, results in
thickening of the titanium oxide layer. Anodized surfaces
interfere positively in bone response with higher values
for biomechanical and histomorphometric tests when
compared to machined surfaces (61,62).
Burgos et al. (63) selected a commercially implant
surface manufactured by anodic oxidation to compare
to turned surfaces in a rabbit model. BIC values were
20% (after 7 days), 23% (after 14 days), and 46% (after
28 days) around the oxidized surfaces and 15% (after
7 days), 11% (after 14 days), and 26% (after 28 days)
around the machined surfaces. It was concluded that the
moderately rough oxidized surfaces follows a different
pattern of osseointegration.
Differently, Huang et al. (64) evaluated the
oxidized implant surfaces installed in the posterior
maxilla of monkeys. After 16 weeks, the mean BIC
was of 74%. The authors suggested that this oxidized
surface detains a considerable osteoconductive potential
promoting a high level of implant osseointegration in
type IV bone in the posterior maxilla.
CaP coatings
Up to now, plasma-spraying remains as the most
477
widely used commercial CaP implant surface coating.
CaP ceramics are considered to have bioactive properties,
which involves the strong interaction between materials
and surrounding bone by means of a chemical bonding
(2). Substrates containing CaP coating is expected to
render a faster biological fixation between implant
and bone tissue when compared to those without CaP
coatings (65-67). However, the thick and non-uniform
coating performed by the plasma-spraying method,
in which HA ceramic particles are injected into a
plasma torch at high temperature and projected on
to the surface of the titanium, have also been related
to some disadvantages. The possible delamination
of the coating from the implant surface is generally
highlighted, making possible the clinical failure of the
implant (68). Additionally, the transmucosal zone of
plasma sprayed HA implants represents a challenge
(43) in terms of periimplantitis infection. Based on
these reasons, the clinical use of the plasma sprayed HA
implants decreased, but the osteoconductive property of
this bioactive ceramic coating remains as a factor that
may contribute to additional bone attachment in areas
of poor quality or quantity of bone.
As a new trend, the changes of surface roughness
at the nanoscale level seem to strongly influence the
host response at both cellular and tissue levels. In this
context, it should be mentioned that some strategies
have been developed to improve the plasma sprayed
HA coating process. Thus methods such as sol-gel
deposition, electrophoretic deposition and discrete
crystalline deposition were developed in order to obtain
significant thinner coating thicknesses when compared
to the plasma sprayed HA technique.
It is already available for clinical use the result
of a CaP nanoparticle modification of a minimally
rough titanium implant surface. It has been created by
the combination of the sol-gel and discrete crystalline
deposition (DCD) of CaP. Mendes et al. (69) suggested
that the nano-feature size of the tightly adherent adsorbed
CaP/DCD crystal is of 20-100 nm.
In the rat model, Mendes et al. (70) have shown
significantly greater average disruption forces with
DCD samples when compared to dual acid-etched
samples. The authors concluded that an increase in
the complexity of the surface topography can render a
bone-bonding ability. Recently, the same group, again
in the rat model (71), demonstrated significant increase
in osteoconduction as a function of the enhanced surface
nanotopography obtained by the CAP nanocrystals in
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A.B. Novaes Jr. et al.
the rat model.
In summary, highly roughened implants, such as
TPS or grit-blasted implants, have been shown to favor
mechanical anchorage and primary fixation to bone,
while topographies in the nanometer level focus on the
enhancement of the host response by means of promoting
protein adsorption and osteoblastic cell adhesion during
the early stages of healing in the periimplant region.
BIOMIMETIC SURfACE MODIfICATIONS
Biomolecules coated onto titanium surface
A common theme in the engineering of cell and
tissue behavior on device surfaces is to modify the
material to selectively interact with a specific cell type
through biomolecular recognition events. Typically,
peptides containing the cell-binding domains found
in the extracellular matrix proteins are immobilized
on the material to promote cell adhesion via ligandreceptor interaction (72,73). Integrins are an example
of cell adhesion receptors that bind to specific amino
acid sequences, such as the RGD that is found in type I
collagen, fibronectin, osteopontin and bone sialoprotein.
Apart from cell attachment, extracellular matrix may
also act on cellular migration and proliferation events.
The concept of functionalizing the implant
surfaces with native or synthetic molecules based on
peptides, proteins and growth factors emerged from the
hypothesis that the ability of imitating the environment
of bone, which is composed of an organic matrix (mainly
collagenous proteins) and inorganic CaP, could enhance
the implant surface performance, encouraging the initial
biologic response.
Animal studies support the in vivo osteoconductive
potential of the RGD peptide sequence as a potential
method of functionalizing titanium implant surfaces. In
the dog model, Schliephake et al. (46) compared implants
with machined titanium surface, coated with collagen
I, coated with collagen I and low RGD concentrations
(100 μmol/mL), and coated with collagen I and high
RGD concentrations (1000 μmol/mL). The BIC and
volume density of the newly formed periimplant bone
(BVD) was assessed histomorphometrically after 1
and 3 months. After 1 month, BIC was significantly
enhanced only in the group of implants coated with the
higher concentration of RGD peptides. Volume density
of the newly formed periimplant bone was significantly
higher in all implants with organic coating. No significant
Braz Dent J 21(6) 2010
difference was found between collagen coating and RGD
coatings. After 3 months, BIC was significantly higher in
all implants with organic coating than in implants with
machined surfaces. Periimplant BVD was significantly
increased in all coated implants in comparison to
machined surfaces. The authors concluded that organic
coating of machined screw implant surfaces providing
binding sites for integrin receptors can enhance bone
implant contact and periimplant bone formation. In
addition, Germanier et al. (74) compared RGD peptide
polymer modified implant surfaces with sandblasted and
acid-etched implant surfaces placed in the maxillae of
miniature pigs, and confirmed that the functionalization
may promote enhanced bone apposition during the early
stages of bone regeneration.
However,it should be mentioned that the success
of such functionalization seems to be strongly dependent
on type, delivery and concentration of the coating. For
example, some studies showed confusing results when
evaluating implant surfaces modified by BMP coatings.
BMPs are a class of growth factors that promote
bone formation, but they also stimulate the action of
osteoclasts. It seems that the dose of the drug is critical
for the final result.
Liu et al. (75) evaluated the effects of BMP-2
and its mode of delivery on the osteoconductivity of
dental implants with either a naked titanium surface
or a calcium-phosphate-coated one in the maxillae
of miniature pigs. After 3 weeks, the volume of bone
deposited within the osteoconductive space (periimplant)
was highest for coated and uncoated implants bearing
no BMP-2, while the lowest value was achieved with
coated implants bearing only adsorbed BMP-2. It was
concluded that the osteoconductivity of functionalized
implant surfaces depends on the mode of BMP-2
delivery, being drastically impaired when BMP-2 was
present as a superficially adsorbed depot upon CaP
coated or uncoated surfaces.
In a different dog model, Wikesjö et al. (76)
studied the ability of recombinant human BMP-2
(rhBMP-2) coated onto a titanium porous oxide
implant surface to stimulate local bone formation,
including osseointegration and vertical augmentation
of the alveolar ridge. Thus critical-size, 5 mm, supraalveolar, periimplant defects were created and implants
coated with rhBMP-2 at 0.75 or 1.5 or 3.0 mg/mL or
uncoated control were installed and compared. The
histologic evaluation showed newly formed bone with
characteristics of the adjoining resident type II bone
Implant surfaces in osseointegration
including cortex formation for sites receiving implants
coated with rhBMP-2 at 0.75 or 1.5 mg/mL. Sites
receiving implants coated with rhBMP-2 at 3.0 mg/mL
exhibited more immature trabecular bone formation,
seroma formation and periimplant bone remodelling
resulting in undesirable implant displacement. Control
implants exhibited minimal, if any, bone formation. In
summary, rhBMP-2 coating onto titanium porous oxide
implant surfaces induced clinically relevant local bone
formation including vertical augmentation of the alveolar
ridge and osseointegration, but higher concentrations/
doses were associated with negative effects.
Finally, non-BMP growth factors have also been
tested as potential agents to improve the osseointegration
parameters. Park et al. (77) evaluated the osseointegration
of anodized titanium implants coated with fibroblast
growth factor-fibronectin (FGF-FN) fusion protein that
were placed in rabbit tibiae. The removal torque values
as well as the percentages of BIC of the test group were
better than those found for the implants that were not
biofunctionalized.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
There are a huge number of types of implant
surfaces in the market, from different implant
manufacturers, all of them claiming to have better clinical
results. It is important that the clinician selects for use in
their patients the surfaces that have shown good results
in the scientific literature.
The majority of currently available in vitro and in
vivo studies seem to indicate that implant surfaces with
micro and submicro (nano) topography bring forward
benefits to the process of interaction between bone cells
and implant surfaces, accelerating and increasing the
quality of BIC.
Finally, based on the state of the art of implant
development, it is possible to predict that, within some
time, implant surfaces coated with substances with
biomimetic capacity will be available for clinical use.
This process of biofuncionalization of implant aims at
modulating new bone formation around implants, and
it is the next step in implant development.
RESUMO
A fixação biológica entre as superfícies de implante e os ossos
maxilares deve ser considerada como um pré-requisito para o
sucesso em longo prazo de próteses implanto-suportadas. Neste
479
contexto, as modificações nas superfícies de implante ganharam
um lugar importante e decisivo na pesquisa em Implantodontia
nos últimos anos. Sendo o tópico mais estudado, colaboraram
para o melhoramento de modalidades de tratamento dental, assim
como para a expansão de uso dos implantes dentais. Hoje, um
grande número de diferentes implantes com uma grande variedade
de propriedades de superfícies, entre outras características, está
comercialmente disponível e isto deve ser tratado com cuidado.
Apesar das modificações nas superfícies terem melhorado
a osseointegração em tempos precoces de implantação, por
exemplo, o clínico deve procurar evidências científicas antes de
selecionar um implante dental para uso específico. Este artigo
fará uma revisão da literatura sobre superfícies de implantes
osseointegráveis, analisando estudos in vitro e in vivo, a fim de
mostrar uma perspectiva atual do desenvolvimento dos implantes.
Esta abordagem englobará os resultados obtidos com micro e nano
topografias, em termos quantitativos e qualitativos, avaliando
a interface osso-implante. Além disso, discutirá também as
perspectivas da incorporação de substâncias biomiméticas (como
peptídeos e proteínas morfogenéticas) à superfície dos implantes
e seus efeitos na modulação da neoformação óssea periimplantar.
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Accepted November 16, 2010
Braz Dent J 21(6) 2010