Effects of Ultraviolet Photoactivation on Osseointegration of Commercial Pure Titanium Dental Implant After 8 Weeks in a Rabbit Model
This study investigated whether a 6-Watt ultraviolet C-lamp was capable of producing photofunctionalization on commercial implants during a medium observation term of 8 weeks. A total of 20 implants were inserted in 5 New Zealand rabbits, with each animal receiving 2 implants per tibia (one photofunctionalized and one untreated), according to a previously established randomization sequence. All implants were inserted by a single surgeon following the manufacturer's instructions. Histological analysis was performed by an evaluator who was blinded to the treatment condition. After 8 weeks of healing, the 2 groups showed no statistically significant differences in terms of bone-to-implant contact. Compared to control implants, the photofunctionalized implants showed improved wettability and more homogenous results. Within the limits of the present study, the use of this 6-W ultraviolet C-lamp, for an irradiation time of 15 minutes at a distance of 15 cm, did not improve the percentages of bone-to-implant contact in rabbits at an osseointegration time of 8 weeks.
A micro-pipette was used to place 10-μL drops of bidistilled water on untreated and photofunctionalized implants. (a) Poor wettability (<90°) on the untreated implant. (b) Good wettability (>90°) on the photofunctionalized implant.
(a) Upon insertion of a photofunctionalized implant, blood rapidly reached the coronal zone. (b) Upon insertion of an untreated implant, blood only moisturized the area in contact with the cortical bone.
Figure 3 . Insertion of a photofunctionalized implant, along with a non-photofunctionalized implant. The hydrophilicity of the photofunctionalized implant can be observed.
(a) Sagittal section of the implant. (b) ×10 magnification image. Red lines indicate bone-implant contact, yellow line indicates the area without contact, and orange horizontal line indicates the separation between the cortical and medullar bone.
Box plot of the total bone-to-implant contact obtained with control and ultraviolet-C-treated surfaces. Plots show the lower (Q1), median (Q2), and upper (Q3) quartiles. The whiskers indicate the highest and lowest observations. BIC indicates bone to implant contact.
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