Osseointegration of metallic implants. I. Light microscopy in the rabbit.

Thirty-eight adult albino rabbits received one implant of pure titanium and one implant of another, test, material in each tibia. The test materials were titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy, chrome-cobalt alloy, and stainless steel. Observation times were 4 months and 11 months. Light microscopy of the interface revealed a direct contact between bone and implant surface (osseointegration) in 73 of the 76 cases. The exceptions were two implants of pure titanium and one of stainless steel. Thus, given identical healing conditions, the modern implant metals were accepted by the bone in the same way. It is suggested that osseointegration should be regarded not as an exclusive reaction to a specific implant material, but as the expression of a nonspecific and basic healing potential in bone.