S. Vercaigne et al., THE EFFECT OF TITANIUM PLASMA-SPRAYED IMPLANTS ON TRABECULAR BONE HEALING IN THE GOAT, Biomaterials, 19(11-12), 1998, pp. 1093-1099
The bone response to different titanium plasma-sprayed implants was ev
aluated in a goat model. Therefore, beam-shaped implants were installe
d into the trabecular femoral condyles of 10 goats. These implants wer
e provided with three different titanium plasma-sprayed coatings (Ti2,
Ti3 and Ti4) with a Pa of 16.5, 21.4 and 37.9 mu m, respectively. An
Al2O3 grit-blasted implant (Ti-un) with a Pa of 4.7 mu m was used as c
ontrol. After an implantation period of 3 months, the implants were ev
aluated histologically and histomorphometrically. Only one implant (Ti
3) was not recovered after the evaluation period. Light microscopy sho
wed a limited amount of bone for the various implants. Most of the imp
lants showed a different degree of fibrous tissue alternating with dir
ect bone contact. Complete fibrous encapsulation of the implants was o
bserved in some of the sections. No signs of delamination of the plasm
a-sprayed coating was visible. No significant difference in bone conta
ct were measured between the different types of implants (P > 0.05). H
istomorphometrical analysis revealed significantly higher bone mass cl
ose to the implant (0-500 mu m) for the Ti3, Ti4 and Ti-un implants pl
aced in the medial femoral condyle and the Ti4 implants placed in the
lateral condyle. At distance (500-1500 mu m), no difference in bone ma
ss measurements between the different implants was observed (P > 0.05)
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