Metal Release From Titanium Fixtures During Placement in the Mandible: An Experimental Study

Titanium screw taps and titanium fixtures were investigated by SEM before and after experimental use. Peri-implant bone surfaces were examined immediately after surgery and 5 months after implantation by SEM using the SE mode, backscattered electron imaging, and EDX analysis to detect titanium contamination of the bone specimens. The Ti content of the livers, kidneys, and lungs of six Göttingen minipigs, which had received two screw implants each, was determined using flameless atomic absorption spectroscopy and compared to a control group with no implants. Results showed that Ti particles were abraded and deposited on the bone surface during the preparation of implant beds. Five months after placement, particles were no longer observed on the bone surface next to the implants. Determination of the Ti concentration of the inner organs showed that the lungs contained the highest amount of titanium. The Ti content of the kidneys and livers was much lower. All values differed significantly from those of the control group (P .01). Keywords: SEM analysis, surface changes, titanium implants