Effects of type I collagen coating on titanium osseointegration: histomorphometric, cellular and molecular analyses

Biomed Mater. 2012 Jun;7(3):035007. doi: 10.1088/1748-6041/7/3/035007. Epub 2012 Mar 9.

Abstract

The investigation of titanium (Ti) surface modifications aiming to increase implant osseointegration is one of the most active research areas in dental implantology. This study was carried out to evaluate the benefits of coating Ti with type I collagen on the osseointegration of dental implants. Acid etched Ti implants (AETi), either untreated or coated with type I collagen (ColTi), were placed in dog mandibles for three and eight weeks for histomorphometric, cellular and molecular evaluations of bone tissue response. While the histological aspects were essentially the same with both implants being surrounded by lamellar bone trabeculae, histomorphometric analysis showed more abundant bone formation in ColTi, mainly at three weeks. Cellular evaluation showed that cells harvested from bone fragments in close contact with ColTi display lower proliferative capacity and higher alkaline phosphatase activity, phenotypic features associated with more differentiated osteoblasts. Confirming these findings, molecular analyses showed that ColTi implants up-regulates the expression of a panel of genes well known as osteoblast markers. Our results present a set of evidences that coating AETi with collagen fastens the osseointegration by stimulating bone formation at the cellular and molecular levels, making this combination of morphological and biochemical modification a promising approach to treat Ti surfaces.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible / chemical synthesis*
  • Collagen Type I / chemistry*
  • Dental Implants*
  • Dental Materials / chemical synthesis
  • Dogs
  • Mandible / pathology*
  • Mandible / physiology
  • Mandible / surgery*
  • Osseointegration / physiology*
  • Titanium / chemistry*

Substances

  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible
  • Collagen Type I
  • Dental Implants
  • Dental Materials
  • Titanium