Evaluation of Early Bone Response to Fluoride-Modified and Anodically Oxidized Titanium Implants Through Continuous Removal Torque Analysis

Purpose: To compare between a bioactive and a bioinert implant with different geometries by continuous measurement of the removal torque and calculation of the angular momentum of each surfaced implant. Materials and Methods: Six New Zealand white rabbits were used in the study. Each rabbit received 2 implants. A bioactive fluoride-modified implant with a conical connection and microthread design was inserted into one tibia, and a bioinert anodically oxidized implant with an external connection design was inserted into the other. After 2 weeks of implant insertion, the removal torque values were continuously measured according to time. Using the time-torque curve resulting from the measurements, the maximum values were determined, and the angular momenta were calculated. Results: The anodically oxidized implant had significantly higher peak removal torque and angular momentum values than the fluoride-modified implant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The impact of the fluoride-modified bioactive implant on early bone response remains unclear. Considering the angular momentum of dental implants may assist in the elucidation of the effect of implant geometry on bone response. (Implant Dent 2012;21:427-432)