Ultrastructural immunohistochemical study of interstitial collagenous components of the healthy human keratinized mucosa surrounding implants

The aim of this study was to investigate the ultrastructural and immunohist ochemical organization of the main collagenous components of healthy human keratinized mucosa surrounding endosseous implants. Eight patients with com pletely edentulous mandibles were selected. Four endosseous implants were p laced in the mandible of each patient, connected with a bar to support a co mplete overdenture, and loaded 4 months later. Two years after placement, b iopsies of surrounding soft tissue, including the sulcular and junctional e pithelium with the underlying and supracrestal connective tissue, were rout inely prepared for standard electron microscopy and for ultrastructural imm unolabeling of Types I, III, and IV collagen. The connective tissue located under the junctional epithelium com prised Types I and III collagen, where as the supracrestal connective tissue was composed mainly of Type I collage n. Type IV collagen was located exclusively in the basement membrane of the junctional epithelium.