EFFECT OF AGE ON BONE-FORMATION AROUND ORTHOPEDIC IMPLANTS

Bone and mineral metabolism are known to change with age, but studies of biologic fixation have traditionally ignored or poorly documented t he effect of age on the quality and quantity of bone about implants, T his study documents the effect of age on quality and quantity of biolo gic fixation about hydroxyapatite-coated and uncoated implants in youn g and old sheep, Mechanical and histologic tests demonstrate comparabl e fixation of implants in young and old sheep, indicating that age is not a dominant factor in the development or failure of implant osseoin tegration.