Comparative bone tissue integration of nanostructured and microroughened dental implants

Aim: The aim was to compare osteointegration of nanostructured implants to a microsurface widely used for titanium dental implants. Materials & methods: Commercial titanium dental implants with smooth or microroughened surfaces were nanostructured. Implants were inserted into the femoral condyles of rabbits. After 2 and 4 weeks, histomorphometry calculation was performed. Results: Nanotubes measuring 60 nm in diameter were observed on both S-NANO (roughness: 0.05 μm) and R-NANO (roughness: 0.40 μm) surfaces. The MICRO surface exhibited typical random cavities (roughness: 2.09 μm). At 4 weeks, bone-to-implant contact values were significantly higher for the R-NANO than for the MICRO surface while no differences were observed at 2 weeks. Conclusion: Overall, this study shows that the nanostructured surfaces improved osteointegration similar or higher than the MICRO.