The dental implants for edentulous patients have been used for more than 20 years. After the introduction of osseointegration by Branemark, the commercially pure titanium implants were accepted by most practitioners. Recently dental implants are used for orthodontic anchorages as well as prosthetic abutment. Many researchers have reported implants as a good orthodontic anchorage through basic research and clinical evaluation. But previous researches were done after the healing time for osseointegration of inserted implants. If dental implants are to be used for prosthetic abutment the healing time for osseointegration is necessary, but orthodontic forces to implants are different from bite force regarding its amount of force, duration and direction.
The authors evaluated the effect of orthopedic force to implants on bone tissue before osseointegration. 48 implants were placed at 12 rabbits. 2 implants into left side and 2 implants into right side were inserted along the long axis of femur respectively. 2 weeks (2 weeks group), 4 weeks (4 weeks group) and 6 weeks (6 weeks group) after implants placement, 300g force had been applied to the implants at left side femur by Ni-Ti close coil spring for 4 weeks (experimental group) and no force applied to implants at right side femur (control group). After the force application for 4weeks, rabbits were sacrificed and microscopic evaluation was done by hematoxylin-eosin stain and Masson trichrome stain.
The results were followed,
1. All implants iii experimental group remained rigid after the force application for 4 weeks.
2. More fibrous tissue between bone and´ implants were noticed at 2 weeks experimental group than 2 weeks control group.
3. More bone remodeling was noticed at 4weeks group than 2 weeks group and it was difficult to find out fibrous tissue between bone and implants at both experimental and control group of 4 weeks group.
4. It was hard to distinguish experimental group from control group at 6 weeks group. Therefore if initial stability can be obtained on implant insertion, it can be possible to use implants as a orthodontic anchorage before the healing time for osseointegration.
|