Tamoxifen improves homeostasis in the peri-implant bone remodeling of osseointegrated titanium implants.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this preclinical study was to evaluate the influence of tamoxifen (TAM) on the peri-implant bone remodeling of osseointegrated titanium implants in ovariectomized female rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-two female rats underwent bilateral ovariectomy 20 weeks before implants placement. One titanium implant was inserted in each tibia of the animals. Six weeks following the implant surgery, animals were randomly divided into two experimental groups (n = 36), which received either saline solution (SS) or tamoxifen citrate (TAM) via gavage until euthanasia. Euthanasia was performed at 30, 60, and 90 days after the first gavage. Assessments of bone to implant contact (BIC), bone ingrowth percentage (BIN), morphological description of cellular and tissue reactions, immunohistochemistry for the detection of bone morphogenetic protein 2/4 (BMP2/4), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX-2), osteocalcin (OCN) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), and bone chemical composition through scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy were performed. RESULTS: Tamoxifen group presented higher BIC, higher BIN, higher RUNX-2 and OCN, lower TRAP-positive cells/mm2 , and no differences regarding BMP-2/4 positive cells/mm2 than SS group in all periods. TAM group also showed higher Ca/P rate than SS group. CONCLUSION: Tamoxifen enhanced the remodeling of the bone surrounding titanium implants in ovariectomized rats.

Osseointegration of implants with dendrimers surface characteristics installed conventionally or with Piezosurgery®. A comparative study in the dog.

AIM: The first aim of the present experiment was to compare bone healing at implants installed in recipient sites prepared with conventional drills or a piezoelectric device. The second aim was to compare implant osseointegration onto surfaces with and without dendrimers coatings. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six Beagles dogs were used in this study. Five implants with two different surfaces, three with a ZirTi(®) surface (zirconia sand blasted, acid etched), and two with a ZirTi(®)-modified surface with dendrimers of phosphoserine and polylysine were installed in the right side of the mandible. In the most anterior region (P2, P3), two recipient sites were prepared with drills, and one implant ZirTi(®) surface and one coated with dendrimers implants were installed at random. In the posterior region (P4 and M1), three recipient sites were randomly prepared: two sites with a Piezosurgery(®) instrument and one site with drill and two ZirTi(®) surface and one coated with dendrimers implants installed. Three months after the surgery, the animals were sacrificed for histological analysis. RESULTS: No complications occurred during the healing period. Three implants were found not integrated and were excluded from analysis. However, n = 6 was obtained. The distance IS-B at the buccal aspect was 2.2 ± 0.8 and 1.8 ± 0.5 mm, while IS-C was 1.5 ± 0.9 and 1.4 ± 0.6 mm at the Piezosurgery(®) and drill groups, respectively. Similar values were obtained between the dendrimers-coated and ZirTi(®) surface implants. The BIC% values were higher at the drill (72%) compared to the Piezosurgery(®) (67%) sites. The BIC% were also found to be higher at the ZirTi(®) (74%) compared to the dendrimers-coated (65%) implants, the difference being statistically significant. CONCLUSION: This study has revealed that oral implants may osseointegrate equally well irrespective of whether their bed was prepared utilizing conventional drills with abundant cooling or Piezosurgery(®). Moreover, the surface coating of implants with dendrimers phosphoserine and polylysine did not improve osseointegration.