Osseointegration Assessment of Dental Implants Using a Synchrotron Radiation Imaging Technique: A Preliminary Study

Purpose: This study tests the possibility of using synchrotron radiation (SR) x-ray micro-imaging as a new method to evaluate osseointegration. Materials and Methods: A simple imaging setup with primarily unmonochromatic SR was used to study the interface of a dental implant in contact with bone. The samples were prepared by sectioning the undecalcified specimen of a titanium screw implanted in the tibia of a New Zealand white rabbit. Radiographs of the interface between surrounding tissues and dental titanium implant were imaged using the SR imaging system at PLS (Pohang Light Source) 5C1 beamline, a micro-computed tomography (µCT) system (SkyScan-1072), and a conventional dental x-ray system (Siemens Heliodent MD). Results: The image quality of the osseointegrated titanium implant was compared among the 3 imaging systems. The SR imaging technique showed greater details than other radiographic modalities for evaluation of the healing stage of bone-implant contact. Discussion: The evaluation was especially focused on the image quality of the osseous contact at the bone-to-implant interfaces. Conclusions: This SR imaging technique provides finer details and can be expected to make an impact in the clinical study of osseointegration.