A macrophage model of osseointegration

Abstract

The mechanisms of peri-implant de novo bone formation and contact osteogenesis are still largely unknown. In 1984 Donath et al. showed that macrophages were the first cells to colonize a titanium implant. Recently it was shown that that there are inflammatory (M1) and healing macrophages (M2), the latter of which can secrete BMP 2. In the context of data from a gap healing experiment a macrophage model of osseointegration is suggested.