Evaluation of Soft Tissue Reaction to Corundum Ceramic Implants Infiltrated with Colloidal Silver.

BACKGROUND: Corundum ceramic is a biomaterial used as a bone graft substitute. Silver is a well known antiseptic substance with many practical, clinical applications. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate soft tissue (in vivo) reaction to a new kind of ceramic implants. In our experiment, we examined the soft tissue reaction after implantation of corundum ceramic infiltrated with colloidal silver in the back muscles of 18 Wistar rats. The use of colloidal silver as a coating for the implant was designed to protect it against colonization by bacteria and the formation of bacterial biofilm. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In our study, based on the experimental method, we performed implantation operations on 18 Wistar rats. We implanted 18 modified ceramic implants and, as a control group, 18 unmodified implants. As a follow up, we observed the animals operated upon, and did postoperative, autopsy and histopathological examinations 14, 30, 90 and 180 days after implantation. RESULTS: We didn't observe any pathological reactions and significant differences between the soft tissue reaction to the modified implants and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of pathological reaction to the modified implants in the living organism is the proof of their biocompatibility. This is, of course, the first step on the long path to introduce a new kind of biocompatible ceramic implant with antiseptic cottage. Our experiment has an only introductory character and we plan to perform other, more specific, tests of this new kind of implant.

Ceramic corundum materials with modified surface as implantation materials.

Investigations on implants have proved that not only the kind of material structure, but also the surface character of grafts influences the local reaction of biomaterials. In recent years electrochemical reactions on implants surface leading to the so called zeta potential arouse interests. Applications of these properties has made us carry on experiments on use of biomaterials with active potential on their bio-compatibility. The aim of this work is evaluation of influence of electrical charge with zeta potentials character on the local reaction of bone tissue after implantation. Two kinds of ceramics were used in experiments: solid and solid-silane with active surface. Implantation experiments were made on 20 rabbits. Selections were carried of 12, 26, 36 and 54 weeks after implantation of the tested materials. After implantation of solid ceramics, not only bone tissue but also fibrous tissue was observed around the graft. But in case of solid silane ceramics, in all terms of tests, bone tissue tightly sticking to the implant was observed around the graft. Investigations of electrokinetic zeta potential carried out 36 and 54 weeks after implantation showed that the values of that potential originally introduced on the grafts surface were maintained on stable level. The carried out investigations confirmed that activation of implants surface through silaning with sol-gel method allows to introduce the planned zeta potential depending on the characteristic for a given kind of tissue.