Titanium implant functionalization with phosphate-containing polymers may favour in vivo osseointegration

Abstract Aim Osseointegration of titanium implants is predictable, but can be improved via surface functionalization. Materials and Methods One hundred and twenty implants were installed in parietal bone of 12 domestic pigs and left to heal for 1 or 3 months. Five groups were defined according surface treatments: immersion in water (H 2 O), 10% polyphosphoric acid ( PPA 10), 1% phosphorylated pullulan ( PPL 1), 10% phosphorylated pullulan ( PPL 10) or 10% phosphorylated pullulan + 1 μg bone morphogenetic protein‐2 ( PPL 10 BMP ). As primary outcome, implant osseointegration was evaluated by quantitative histology, namely peri‐implant bone formation (B/T in %) and bone‐to‐implant contact ( BIC in %) for each healing period. The Wilcoxon signed‐rank test and Mann–Whitney U ‐test with α = 0.05 were performed. Results PPL 10 and PPA 10 groups showed significantly higher B/T and BIC results than the control (H 2 O) group at 1‐month ( p < .05). No significant difference was found between PPL 1 and H 2 O or between PPL 10 BMP and H 2 O, irrespective of healing time (1 or 3 months) or investigated parameter (B/T and BIC ; p > .05). After 3 months, no experimental group showed a significant difference compared to the control group (H 2 O) for both investigated parameters (B/T and BIC ; p > .05). Conclusion Functionalizing titanium implants with inorganic or organic phosphate‐containing polymers at 10 wt% concentration may stimulate peri‐implant bone formation and implant osseointegration at early healing times.