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.