Influence of implant microstructure on the dynamics of bone healing around immediate implants placed into periodontally infected sites - A confocal laser scanning microscopic study

This study evaluated by fluorescence analysis the influence of implant microstructure on the placement of immediate implants in periodontally infected sockets. Periodontal disease was induced during 12 weeks bilaterally from P1 to P4 in six dogs. The teeth were extracted and immediate implants were placed. Each dog received six implants: three with Friadent experimental surface (grit blasted/acid etched - FES group) and three covered with titanium plasma spray (TPS group), for a total of 36 Frialit-2 stepped cylinder implants. During the healing period, fluorescent bone markers were injected to study the bone remodeling around the implants. The dyes were injected in the following sequence: oxytetracyclin hydrochloride 3 days and 8 weeks, calcein green 4 weeks after the implantation and alizarin red S 3 days before killing. The animals were anesthetized and killed 12 weeks after implant placement. The mandibles were removed, dissected and processed for analyses of the percentage of newly formed bone surrounding the implant using a confocal laser scanning microscope. There were no significant statistical differences in bone formation (Mann-Whitney) between groups (FES group: 5.28% formation at 3 days, 10.3% at 4 weeks, 21.14% at 8 weeks and 6.98% at 12 weeks; TPS group: 3.36% at 3 days, 9.58% at 4 weeks, 14.57% at 8 weeks and 7.08% at 12 weeks). However, covariance analysis showed that the percent of marked bone was statistically greater for the FES group when compared to the TPS group, between the 3-day and 8-week periods of evaluation.