Osseointegration of Implants in Irradiated Bone With and Without Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment: An Experimental Study in Rat Tibiae

Purpose: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) has been recommended to enhance implant osseointegration in irradiated bone. The aim of this study was to further investigate the effects of HBO on implant integration in irradiated bone tissue. Materials and Methods: The present study was an experimental intraindividual study in 16 rats. A single fraction of 20 Gy external irradiation was applied to one rat hind leg, while the other served as a nonirradiated control. Three days after radiation, two implants were inserted in each tibial tuberosity. The rats were divided into two groups: non-HBO treated (group 1) and HBO treated (group 2). Five weeks after radiation, removal torque tests were performed. Implants with surrounding tissue were processed to undecalcified cut and ground sections for histomorphometric evaluations of bone-to-implant contact and bone area. Retrieved bones were also investigated with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results: The non-HBO treated rats (group 1) demonstrated higher, but not statistically significantly higher, values in the nonirradiated leg for all investigated parameters compared to the HBO-treated rats (group 2). However, the mean value for bone area was significantly higher in the irradiated sides compared to the nonirradiated control sides. Conclusions: In the present study, HBO treatment did not have a significant impact on osseointegration of implants in irradiated bone.