Direct bone anchorage of oral implants: clinical and experimental considerations of the concept of osseointegration.

The term osseointegration is analyzed in relation to its theoretical and clinical definitions, and comparisons are made to other implant modalities. The term osseointegration has a clear clinical meaning, but there is doubt about its precise usage in an experimental setting. Clinically, an implant can be described as osseointegrated if there is no discernable movement when force is applied to the fixture. This is in contrast to implants surrounded by fibrous connective tissue, which move within soft tissue. Newly developed laboratory techniques may be used in the future to precisely characterize osseointegration in the laboratory.