Evaluation of Bone Response to a Nano HA Implant Surface on Sinus Lifting Procedures: Study in Rabbits

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the bone response to two different implant surfaces on sinus lift procedures in rabbits. Bilateral sinus lifting with inorganic bovine bone associated with collagen membrane and immediate implantation were performed in 16 rabbits. Custom mini-implants were randomly installed in the prepared sites: one side received a double acid-etched (DAE) surface and the other a nano-hydroxyapatite (NHA) surface. The animals were euthanized 30 and 60 days after surgery, and biopsies were collected for microtomographic and histomorphometric analysis. After 30 days, no intra- and inter-group statistical differences were observed in microtomographic analysis, while at 60 days, bone analysis showed statistically significant differences between groups (p p > 0.05), respectively; for % of Bone Area Fraction Occupancy (BAFO), mean values were 45.43 ± 3.597% for DAE and 57.04 ± 5.537% for NHA (p p < 0.05). The NHA surface showed superior biological features compared to the DAE treatment, promoting higher bone formation around the implants in an experimental model of bone repair in a grafted area.

Keywords

• animal experiments
• biomaterials
• bone implant interactions
• bone substitutes
• guided bone regeneration
• sinus floor elevation