Abstract
Author(s): Hassan Jawad Farhan, Akram Yousif Yasear
Background: Successful osseointegration of metal dental implants comprises many factors that include the accumulation of bone mass, followed by bone remodelling by osteoclasts and osteoblasts. It has been well documented that osteocytes are among the major regulators of bone remodelling in the peri-implant bone mass area and its future maintenance. Aim: The study aims to evaluate the histological aspects of osteocytes in peri-implantation bone mass of normal and diabetic rabbits implanted with Commercial pure Titanium (CpTi) dental screws coated with Tantalum Oxynitride (TaON) via reactive plasma sputtering. Materials and methods: The CpTi screws were coated with Tantalum Oxynitride (TaON) using the reactive plasma sputtering for eight hours. Of the eight white female New Zealand rabbits, four were alloxaninduced diabetic rabbits, and four were normal. One non-coated and one TaON-coated CpTi screw was inserted in each femur of each rabbit, leading to a total of 32 screws. Diabetic rabbits received a total of sixteen (16) screws, of which eight were TaON-coated and the remaining were non-coated. At the same time, 16 screws were inserted in normal rabbits following an identical distribution as diabetic rabbits. After two weeks of healing time, biopsies of the implanted screws and 10mm of periimplanted bone mass were taken from both groups via saw microtome and placed in 10% formalin for histological study. Results: The histological results of the present study revealed that TaONcoated CpTi screws offered the benefit of ensuring the long survival of dental implants. One of the criteria used in this study is a considerable increase in the distribution of osteocytes in the bone surrounding the implanted CpTi screws, even in diabetic rabbits. Conclusion: The peri-implant bone had a higher number of osteocyte cells, especially around the implant body. This increase could be related to enhanced osseointegration and functional adaptation needed through the loading stimulus. It also explains the importance of osteocytes and osteoblast cells in the maintenance of the bone matrix.