EVALUATION OF AN ENDOSSEOUS TITANIUM IMPLANT WITH A SANDBLASTED AND ACID-ETCHED SURFACE IN THE CANINE MANDIBLE - RADIOGRAPHIC RESULTS

Previous studies have demonstrated in short-term experiments that a sa ndblasted and acid-etched (SLA) titanium implant had a greater bone-to -implant contact than a titanium plasma-sprayed (TPS) implant in non-o ral bone. In the present study, an SLA implant was compared radiograph ically to a TPS implant under unloaded and loaded conditions in the ca nine mandible for up to 15 months. 69 implants were placed in 6 foxhou nds. Standardized radiographs were taken at baseline, preload, 3, 6, 9 , and 12 months of loading. Loaded implants were restored with gold cr owns similar to the natural dentition. Radiographic assessment of the bone response to the implants was carried out by measuring the distanc e between the implant shoulder and the most coronal bone-to-implant co ntact (DIB) and by evaluation of bone density changes using computer-a ssisted densitometric image analysis (CADIA). 5 different areas-of-int erest (AOI) were defined coronally and apically along the implant. DIB measurements revealed that SLA implants had significantly less bone h eight loss (0.52 mm) than TPS implants (0.69 mm) at the preload evalua tion (p=0.0142) as well as at 3 months of loading (0.73 mm/1.06 mm; p= 0.0337). This difference was maintained between the implant types duri ng the 1-year follow-up period. The same trend was also evident for CA DIA measurements with SLA implants showing higher crestal bone density values when comparing preload to baseline data (p=0.0890) and 3 month s to baseline data (p=0.0912). No measurable bone density changes were apparent in the apical areas of either implant. These results suggest that SLA implants are superior to TPS implants as measured radiograph ically in oral bone under unloaded and loaded conditions.