Bone response to surface-modified titanium implants: studies on the early tissue response to machined and electropolished implants with different oxide thicknesses

The bone formation around titanium implants with varied surface properties is investigated. Machined and electropolished samples with and without thick, anodically formed surface oxides were prepared, surface characterized and inserted in the cortical bone of rabbits (1, 3 and 6 weeks). Scanning electron microscopy, scanning Auger electron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy revealed marked differences in oxide thickness, surface topography and roughness, but no significant differences in surface chemical composition, between the different groups of implants. Light microscopic morphology and morphometry showed that all implants were in contact with bone and had a large proportion of bone within the threads at 6 weeks. The smooth, electropolished implants, irrespective of anodic oxidation, were surrounded by less bone than the machined implants after 1 week. After 6 weeks the bone volume as well as the bone-implant contact were lower for the merely electropolished implants than for the other three groups. Our study shows that a high degree of bone contact and bone formation are achieved with titanium implants which are modified with respect to oxide thickness and surface topography. However, the result with the smooth (electropolished) implants indicates that a reduction of surface roughness, in the initial phase, decreases the rate of bone formation in rabbit cortical bone.