Research on implants and osseointegration

Abstract

Osseointegration was originally defined as a direct structural and functional connection between ordered living bone and the surface of a load‐carrying implant. It is now said that an implant is regarded as osseointegrated when there is no progressive relative movement between the implant and the bone with which it is in direct contact. Although the term osseointegration was initially used with reference to titanium metallic implants, the concept is currently applied to all biomaterials that have the ability to osseointegrate. Biomaterials are closely related to the mechanism of osseointegration; these materials are designed to be implanted or incorporated into the living system with the aims to substitute for, or regenerate, tissues and tissue functions. Objective evaluation of the properties of the different biomaterials and of the factors that influence bone repair in general, and at the bone tissue–implant interface, is essential to the clinical success of an implant. The Biomaterials Laboratory of the Oral Pathology Department of the School of Dentistry at the University of Buenos Aires is devoted to the study and research of the properties and biological effects of biomaterials for dental implants and bone substitutes. This paper summarizes the research work resulting from over 25 years’ experience in this field. It includes studies conducted at our laboratory on the local and systemic factors affecting the peri‐implant bone healing process, using experimental models developed by our research team. The results of our research on corrosion, focusing on dental implants, as well as our experience in the evaluation of failed dental implants and bone biopsies obtained following maxillary sinus floor augmentation with bone substitutes, are also reported. Research on biomaterials and their interaction with the biological system is a continuing challenge in biomedicine, which aims to achieve optimal biocompatibility and thus contribute to patient health.

Control Methods for Transradial Prostheses Based on Remnant Muscle Activity and Its Relationship with Proprioceptive Feedback

“…Methods capable of mapping tissue distribution in a cross-section plane of the forearm (such as EIT, SMG) potentially offer information regarding the position of the ulna and radius, which may be used as a reference for shift compensation. Osseointegration [ 159 , 160 ] is a possible alternative making calibration procedure unnecessary by enabling robust reference for fixation of the sensors; nevertheless, the method currently possesses several issues which are to be solved. Since sensor shifts may also be related and dependent on the orientation of the limb in space, some studies [ 161 , 162 , 163 ] successfully applied inertia sensors for tracking the relative orientation of the prosthesis by training the muscle activation classifier with additional inputs from these sensors.…”

TI-6AL-4V alloy and β-tricalcium phosphate-based systems for in vitro study of mesenchymal stem cell functions at implant–tissue interface

“…Ingrowth and direct structural and functional integration of new bone tissue with the surface of the implant is defined as osseointegration [26][27][28]. This process, which includes a series of biological events resembling direct fracture healing, mainly relies on the proper functions of MSC [29].…”

Treatment trends in periodontics

“…Guglielmotti et al give a detailed account of the many lines of research related to dental implants and osseointegration performed using experimental models in rats. Osseointegration has been studied using titanium, zirconium, and other bioceramic implant materials.…”