Shear bond strength of the ceramic veneer to additively manufactured titanium.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the shear bond strength between the ceramic veneer and additively manufactured titanium with different surface treatments, and to compare with milled titanium. Also, to characterize the surface and the presence of an α-case layer of additively manufactured and milled titanium. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty additively manufactured titanium grade 23, and 20 milled titanium grade 4 cylindrical specimens were divided into four groups based on surface treatments, air-particle abrasion and grinding. After ceramic veneering half of each group were thermocycled. The bond strength was analyzed using a shear bond strength test. The surfaces were analyzed using interferometry and scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: The grinding procedure and air-particle abrading pressure had no significant effect on the shear bond strength (p = .264 and p = .344). Thermocycling showed a tendency towards an effect but not significant (p = .052). The group with the highest air-abrading pressure showed the highest surface roughness. No presence of an α-case layer was detected in any of the groups. CONCLUSION: Additively manufactured titanium grade 23 may be veneered with ceramics without prior grinding of the surfaces.

Enhanced bone healing around nanohydroxyapatite-coated polyetheretherketone implants: An experimental study in rabbit bone.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the bone response to threaded polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implants coated with nanohydroxyapatite. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 39 PEEK implants were coated with nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite and 39 uncoated implants were used as controls. The implant surface was characterized by optical interferometry and scanning electron microscope. The implants were inserted in the tibia and femur of 13 rabbits. After 6 weeks of healing, quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed. RESULTS: The test implants showed significantly higher removal torque test values compared with the control group. Histomorphometric evaluation demonstrated higher bone-to-implant contact for the test implants; however, there were no differences in bone area between the groups. Qualitative histological analyses demonstrated inflammatory cellular reactions in close vicinity of both implant surfaces. A two-cell layer of foreign body giant cells was observed irrespective of sample type. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that implants with a threaded design render good stability to PEEK in both coated and uncoated implants. Nanohydroxyapatite-coated PEEK implants demonstrated improved bone formation compared with uncoated controls.