Surface conditioning with cold argon plasma and its effect on the osseointegration of dental implants in miniature pigs

Purpose: Successful implant therapy is based on fast, safe, and predictable osseointegration. Several surface modifications have been introduced to improve the bone-to-implant interaction. This in vivo study evaluates the impact of plasma surface conditioning on early wound healing and osseointegration. Materials and methods: A total of 16 dental implants with a sand-blasted and acid-etched surface were conditioned with cold atmospheric plasma prior to insertion in the frontal bone of four miniature pigs. Sequential fluorescence labeling was administered to label bone metabolism, and after 8 weeks, bone blocks were harvested for radiological, histological, and histomorphometrical evaluation. Results: The plasma conditioning had no impact on the morphology of the implant surface. The bone-to-implant contact ratio was 90.4% and 86.5%, the interthread bone density 72.5% and 63.4%, and the periimplant bone density 60.5% and 61.1%, in the plasma conditioned group and control group, respectively. Concentric bands of fluorescence enrichment indicated a chronological and homogenous mineralization of newly formed bone. No unwanted periimplant side effects were detected. Conclusion: The increased parameters for osseointegration in this in vivo study merit further investigation in prospective clinical trials. (C) 2018 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.