Comparison Between Bioactive Fluoride Modified and Bioinert Anodically Oxidized Implant Surfaces in Early Bone Response Using Rabbit Tibia Model

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether bioactive surfaces were more favorable to bone than bioinert surfaces by evaluating bone responses around two commercial dental implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bioactive fluoride-modified implants (Osseospeed) were compared with bioinert oxidized implants (TiUnite). Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy analyzed the implant surface characteristics. Five New Zealand white rabbits were used to evaluate the bone response. Each rabbit received two implants: a fluoride-modified implant in one tibia and an oxidized implant in the other. Drilling was performed bicortically, and a gap defect was created in the upper cortexonly. Bone-to-implant contact and bone area were measured on the histological specimens 2 weeks after implant insertion. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in surface roughness (P > 0.05). The gap defects were almost filled with new bone within a period of 2 weeks. The histomorphometry revealed no significant differences in bone-to-implant contact and bone area (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitation of this study, the bioactive fluoride-modified surface may show no superiority to the bioinert anodized surface in early bone response.