SURFACE-DIMPLED COMMERCIALLY PURE TITANIUM IMPLANT AND BONE INGROWTH

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effect of the sur face macrostructure of a dimpled commercially pure titanium (cp Ti) im plant on bone ingrowth in vivo by means of histological examination an d a push-out test. Cylindrical implants were inserted in one femur of each experimental rabbit and the animals were killed at 1.5, 3 and 13 months after implantation. The femur with the implant of each animal w as then examined in a push-out test. The fracture surfaces of the bone -implant interface after the push-out test were examined under light a nd electron microscopy. It seems that the dimpled cp Ti surface result s in the increased retention of the cp Ti implant in bone due to inter locking between vital bone and the dimples. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited.