The in vivo effect of P‐15 coating on early osseointegration

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate mechanically and morphologically the effect of a specific peptide sequence P‐15, when incorporated into implant surfaces. Three types of implants were used for the study: Group A: commercially pure titanium implant (blasted and acid etched) + electrochemical thin calcium phosphate deposition, Group B: commercially pure titanium implant (blasted and acid etched) + electrochemical thin calcium phosphate deposition + P‐15 incorporation, and as control, Group C: commercially pure titanium implant (blasted and acid etched). After a topographical characterization, transcortical osteotomies were made, and all implant groups (102 implants per group) were randomly placed bilaterally in the tibiae of adult beagle dogs (n = 24). At, 1, 2, and 4 weeks post‐surgery, the animals were sacrificed and the samples were retrieved for removal torque tests, for nano indentation, and for histomorphometrical analysis. The results (mean ± 95% CI) showed that Group B (34.4 ± 8.7%) presented statistically higher bone‐to‐implant contact than the other groups (A = 23.9 ± 7.8%; C = 21.7 ± 8.3%) at 1 week, indicating an enhanced osteogenesis due to the peptide incorporation. The results suggested that the incorporation of P‐15 to implant surfaces increased its bioactivity and the effects were notable especially in the early stages of the healing process. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 430–440, 2014.