Biomechanical characterization of osseointegration during healing: An experimental in vivo study in the rat

This study reports torsion tests and pull-out tests on osseointegrated commercially pure titanium fixtures. The tests were performed in vivo on a total of 26 rats. Three fixtures with a diameter of 2.0 mm were installed bilaterally in the proximal tibia in each animal. The mechanical testing was performed immediately after installation, after 2, 4, 8 and 16 weeks of unloaded healing. The torsional strength started to increase after 4 weeks of unloaded healing and there was a significant increase with time during the initial 16 weeks. The pull-out load increased rapidly during the first 4 weeks; thereafter, a moderate increase occurred during the following 12 weeks. A histological evaluation was performed after 0, 4, 8 and 16 weeks. There were significant (P < 0.01) correlations between torque and percentage of bone in contact with the fixture, and between pull-out load and the bone thickness around the fixture (P < 0.001). Estimations of shear stresses and shear moduli in the bone tissue (pull-out test) and at the interface (torque test) indicated that the increase in bone Volume around the implant substantially improved the mechanical capacity. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.