The multi-channels measurement of strain generated potentials in osseointegrated implant-bone composite

"Osseo" refers to bone and "integration" refers to how a prosthesis can be integrated with the bone in residual limbs both arms and legs. Osseointegration(OI) was originally defined as a direct structural and functional connection between ordered living bone and the surface of a load-carrying implant. OI could be described as the modality for stable fixation of titanium implant to bone structure. The OI has become a realized phenomenon of importance in the dental and rehabilitation sciences since recently developed dentures and artificial limbs are directly attached to human skeleton by using osseointegrated implants. Previously, a study showed that bone strain generated potential (SGP) that is an electrical potential and considered to be generated by fluid flow in bone could be used as a parameter to examine the amount of OI on bone-implant interface. Since no study was performed to understand according to the point on behavior of SGP for the bone-implant composite. In this study, we used a multi-channel measurement system and investigated SGP according to the point. Four white New Zealand rabbits underwent pure titanium implant insertion surgery to tibia after amputation. After checking full OI at the end of the 5 weeks, experimental animals were euthanized and the amputated tibia-implants were harvested. Holes of 0.5mm in diameter were made on the tissue of the tibia and electrodes of 0.16mm in diameter were inserted to the holes. Then, the instrumented bone-implant composites were placed to a servo material testing machine to apply axial compressive displacement loadings. During the compression tests, SGPs were also measured. Magnitude of SGP was found to be significantly increased near bone and implant interface for the osseointegrated bone-implant composite.