Fibrous capsule formation around titanium and copper

Previous studies suggest that implant material properties influence the quality and quantity of fibrous capsule around the implant. However, the precise relation between material surface chemistry, early inflammatory response, and fibrous subsequent repair outcome is still unknown. Titanium (Ti) and copper (Cu), surfaces with different inflammatory potential, were implanted subcutaneously in rats and retrieved fibrous capsules were analyzed after 28 and 56 days. Histological examinations show pronounced differences in capsule morphology. The fibrous capsule around Ti was thinner than that around Cu, with less number of the inflammatory cells in the layer close to the implant surface, and less and smaller blood vessels. The capsule around Cu was thick, with a large number of the inflammatory cells, particularly macrophages and giant cells, and increased number of blood vessels. Our study suggests that material surface properties, which initiate early, multiple cellular inflammatory events, are also associated with increased fibrosis and angiogenesis during repair phase. (C) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.