Bone tissue reactions to an electrophoretically applied calcium phosphate coating

Oral implants of a threaded design, calcium phosphate (CaP)-coated using an electrophoretic deposition technique, were compared to uncoated commercially pure (c.p.) titanium control in an animal study with 4 weeks and 6 months of follow-up, respectively. The 3D surface roughness of a CaP-coated implant was about three times greater than that of an uncoated control. Histomorphometric analyses of the direct bone-implant contact demonstrated a short-term advantage to the CaP-coated implants, whereas no significant difference to the uncoated titanium was found after 6 months. Comparison of the amount of bone inside or outside the threads showed similar values for test and control after 4 weeks. Significantly higher amounts of bone outside the uncoated c.p. titanium implants were measured after the long-term follow-up.