In vivo Evaluation of a Novel Custom-Made press-Fit Dental Implant Through Electron Beam Melting® (EBM®)

Recently, Electron Beam Melting (EBM ) has been demonstrated as a novel manufacturing technique with high potential to fabricate custom-made press-fit dental implants. However, the biological performances of these implants have not been evaluated in vivo. Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the in vivo performance of an EBM press-fit dental implant to a commercially available press-fit dental implant (Endopore®). Material and Methods: Endopore® implants (3.5 mm in diameter and 9 mm in length) and EBM press-fit dental implants fabricated from Ti6Al4V ELI alloy powder and having the same overall geometry were tested. Specimens from each implant type (n=12/type) were placed in the tibia of six rabbits and retrieved after six weeks. Results: Histological analyses showed osseointegration of the surrounding bone with both implant types. Both Endopore® and EBM® implants showed similar bone-to-implant contact (BIC) values of 35 ± 6% and 32 ± 9%, respectively. In push-out tests, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in their peak push-out force and apparent shear stiffness (p > 0.05). However, SEM images and histology sections showed loose titanium beads in the EBM® group but not in the Endopore® group. The potential long-term impacts of these loose particles need further investigation.