SiNtx Technologies Inc (SINT)

[boston745]

THE DISTRIBUTION AND PRO-INFLAMMATORY IMPACT OF TITANIUM DEBRIS ACCUMULATION IN THE PERI-IMPLANT ENVIRONMENT

In the current thesis, state of the art elemental detection methods were adopted to firstly probe tissues surrounding Ti implants where wear processes would not be expected. The discovery of Ti distributions in forms indicative of corrosion processes suggests that indeed Ti should be considered as a potential modifier of the peri-implant physiological processes. Subsequent analysis of inflamed peri-implant tissues from indwelling, percutaneous and transmucosal sites demonstrated the presence of Ti in all samples studied. Characterisation of the Ti speciation preceded electrochemical simulations which confirmed that all Ti that had been observed in the tissues could be accounted for by crevice corrosion processes.

Neutrophils are the predominant acute inflammatory cells in percutaneous and transmucosal peri-implant sites. Therefore, an array of neutrophil immune responses (phagocytosis, respiratory burst, NETosis, cytokine secretion and chemotaxis) were studied following stimulation with Ti in forms identified in the peri-implant tissues. Finally, the modification of neutrophil immune responses to known periodontal pathogens following Ti exposures was explored. The findings strongly indicated that neutrophil responses can be modified by Ti species found in peri-implant sites and further work is needed to identify the role that ‘free Ti’ has on implant outcomes.

http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/4759/5/Kalra14PhD.pdf

Extreme example of metal debris accumulation near implant sites of a patient with metallosis from a Metal-on-Polyethylene hip implant