Does bone around Ti implants structure itself as consequence of loading and surgical procedures? A SAXS/WAXS, XRF study of the peri-implant

Dental implants improve patients’ quality of life after a dental trauma. 5-10% of all implants fail in less than 10a for unknown reasons causing suffering for patients and high costs for society. An implant’s success rate is determined by the bone quality around the implant. While dentists possess tools to quantify the amount of bone, they lack precise knowledge about how drilling and loading influence the bone ultrastructure in the peri-implant zone. This proposal will characterize interfacial bone of clinical-sized Ti implants subjected to real-life loading conditions with multimodal high-spatial resolution scanning S/WAXS, XRF. By connecting ultrastructural findings with clinical parameters, we will bridge the gap between implant stability and underlying bone quality. Due to a statistically relevant set of sample conditions, we will be able to provide scientific-based guidelines on how drilling and loading protocols favour a rapid, strong, and long-lasting osseointegration.