Effect of osteoporosis on well-integrated bone implants

Abstract

The installation of dental implants has become a common treatment for edentulous patients. However, concern exists about the influence of osteoporosis on the final implant success. This study evaluated whether an ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporotic condition, induced eight weeks postimplantation in a rat femoral condyle, influences the bone response to already-integrated implants. The implants were inserted in the femoral condyle of 16 female Wistar rats. Eight weeks postimplantation, rats were randomly ovariectomized (OVX) or sham-operated (SHAM). Fourteen weeks later, animals were sacrificed, and implants were used for histological and histomorphometric analyses. A significant reduction in the quantity and quality of trabecular bone around dental implants existed in OVX rats in comparison to the SHAM group. For histomorphometric analysis, the bone area (BA%) showed a significant difference between OVX (34.2 ± 4.3) and SHAM (52.6 ± 12.7) groups (p < 0.05). Bone–implant contact (BIC%) revealed significantly lower values for all implants in OVX (42.5 ± 20.4) versus SHAM (59.0 ± 19.0) rats. Therefore, induction of an osteoporotic condition eight weeks postimplantation in a rat model negatively affects the amount of bone present in close vicinity to bone implants.