Tissue response to titanium implantation in the rat maxilla, with special reference to the effects of surface conditions on bone formation

Tissue responses to titanium implantation with two different surface conditions in our established implantation model in rat maxillae were investigated by light and transmission electron microscopy and by histochemistry for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAPase) activity. Here we used two types of implants with different surface qualities: titanium implants sandblasted with Al2O3 (SA-group) and implants coated with hydroxyapatite (HA-group). In both groups, bone formation had begun by 5 days postimplantation when the inflammatory reaction had almost disappeared in the prepared bone cavity. In the SA-group, however, the bone formation process in the bone cavity was almost identical to that shown in our previous report using smooth surfaced implants (Futami et al. 2000): new bone formation, which occurred from the pre-existing bone toward the implant, was preceded by active bone resorption in the lateral area with a narrow gap, but not so in the base area with a wide gap. In the HA-group, direct bone formation from the implant toward the pre-existing bone was recognizable in both lateral and base areas. Many TRAPase-reactive cells were found near the implant surface. On the pre-existing bone, new bone formation occurred with bone resorption by typical osteoclasts. Osseointegration around the implants was achieved by postoperative day 28 in both SA- and HA-groups except for the lateral area, where the implant had been installed close to the cavity margin. These findings indicate that ossification around the titanium implants progresses in different patterns, probably dependent on surface properties and quality.