Titanium Implants after alkali heating treatment with a [Zn(OH)4]2 complex: analysis of interfacial bond strength using push-out tests.

BACKGROUND

Clinical demands for stronger and faster bone bonding to implants have motivated the development of chemically and topographically modified surfaces capable of chemical bonding. This study presents a new one-step alkali heat treatment performed with a solution containing Zn(OH)(4) complex as an alternative to the conventional NaOH solution.

PURPOSE

The objective of this work is to assess the effect of a Zn-modified surface chemistry on bone-implant shear strength using a rabbit model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted on mechanical-grinded and smooth surfaces of Ti cylindrical implants. The topographical structure, chemical surface composition, and structural properties of the chemically modified titanium surface were studied by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and x-ray diffractometry. Implant-bone shear strength was evaluated by push-out tests undertaken at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after insertion in rabbit femora.

RESULTS

Implants with smooth and rough surfaces chemically-modified with a solution containing Zn(OH)(4) complex demonstrated significantly stronger bone fixation than nonmodified implants at all healing times (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The obtained results suggest that biochemical bonding at the bone-implant interface, stimulated by the Zn(2+) ion release in combination with mechanical interlocking definitively improved the implant fixation.