Micro/Nano Scale Implants

KAYLEE MAYA

Date: Thursday, March 24, 2022

1. Introduction
2. Micro/Nano scale titanium-based implants for osseointegration
3. Micro/Nano scale titanium-based implants specifically designed for dental surfaces

​

​

​

Introduction

1. Types of implants
2. Foreignness in the body
3. Advantages of nano-engineering on implants

​

​

​

​

Figure 1. This shows an overview of BMI’s from the Recent advances in micro/nanoscale biomedical implants

Types of Implants

Cardiovascular

• Stents
• Vascular grafts
• Heart valves
• Defibrillators
• Pacemakers

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Neural

• CNS- brain and spine
• PNS- all other nerves
• Cochlear
• Retinal

​

​

​

​

Orthopedic

• Bone grafts/plates
• Fin & fusion devices- bone growth therapy

​

​

​

​

Micro and nanotechnology have been used to affect the sub-micron scales. The sub-micron scales is also known as the cellular process prior to implantation. Although the sub-micron scale is extremely important to the process prior to implantation, the way the body reacts prior to the is also dependent on the type of implant and where it is being placed within the body.

Foreignness in the Body

• Foreign objects in the body can be considered anything that has not been biologically created and put in your body in a certain position. Something as small as a piece of wood up to an implant can both be considered foreign to the body. The uniqueness of the device being on the micro/nanoscale helps eliminate the foreign aspect when dealing with implants. This can expand the capacity of what the biomolecular and cellular events were capable of prior to implants being able to be micro/nanoscale.

​

Advantages of nano-engineering on implants

• Subcellular size allows the body to have a high tissue uptake in addition to being able to minimize or completely reduce polymer usage, this increase biocompatibility and can be less toxic for the body.

​

​

​

Table 1 from Recent advances in micro/nanoscale biomedical implants – shows the overview of the features and advantages for nano-engineering.

Micro/ Nano scale titanium-based implants for osseointegration

1. Osseointegration
2. Oral rehabilitation
3. Techniques for osseointegration
4. Titanium and osseointegration phases�

​

​

Osseointegration

• Osseointegration is the process where living bone is connected to an artificial implant. This process often times in involves a titanium alloy implantation. Typically, osseointegration surgeries are about 1 to 2 hours and take about 3 to 6 months for the living bone and artificial implant to fully merge and combine into one structure.

Figure 2. This is a diagram of dental osseointegration from the Sedation & Implant Dentistry of Irvine.

Oral Rehabilitation

• This study looks specifically at mouth in terms of oral rehabilitation through the use of dental implants as well as orthopedic implants. The original world of implants, circa 1970’s, utilized hexagonal and cylindrical designs as well as zirconia as the implant material. Since then, titanium has become the first choice in terms of implantation due to its versality of the surface in terms of morphological aspects, implant design and connections. Titanium in particular is used due to its resistance against corrosion yet its capability in terms of its strength a long term success.

​

Techniques for osseointegration

• ­­Through the use of ordinary techniques such as grit-blasting, acid-etching, and surface conditioning in combination with the morphological aspects allow for a premium titanium-based implant on a micro/nanoscale.

​

Titanium and Osseointegration phases

• The use of titanium alongside the modified techniques results in shortening the first phase of the osseointegration process. The first phase of the osseointegration process is comprised of blood platelet activation, protein adsorption, three-dimensional fibrin clot cross-linking, osteogenic cell migration as well as collagen deposition and finally the bone matrix forming. These methods in addition to helping modify implants on a micro/nano scale can be used for localized drug delivery processes. For example, nanostructured materials and drug carriers such as titanium- based nanotubes are arising within the biomedical field. It is necessary with these types of implants that they are able to mimic the natural bone structure as a soft tissue approach that ultimately heals the bone with time with respect to the bioactivity of the biomaterials on the implant itself.

Micro/Nano scale specifically designed for dental surfaces

1. Survival of implant
2. Preparation of implant
3. Longevity of implant

​

​

​

Survival of implant

• Prior research thought that the eukaryotic cells within the human body weren’t capable of being susceptible to nanostructures for osteogenesis. Yet after recent research and clinical tests, it was seen that these titanium nano structured implants were showing over a 95% survival rate. Although the survival rate of these types of implants were high, the recent research also suggests that the reasoning behind the eukaryotic cells being able to respond to these chemical morphological changes at a nanoscale was due to a series of items including the titanium dioxide.

Figure 3.- This shows 2 different osseointegrations. B is modified with titanium in order for process to be successful according to Modifications of Dental Implant Surfaces at the Micro- and Nano-Level for Enhanced Osseointegration

​

Preparation of implant

• Due to the aggravated bone, surgical trauma provokes bleeding and hemostasis, a common response to a break or aggravation of the body. Although this is a rather normal occurrence, through the use of surface modification of the titanium-based implants, it can lessen the hemostasis in addition to improving other initial responses in respect to the implant surface. Through chemical and physical modification of the nano structures, the implant will not only fix the injured area but also strengthen the quality of the healing process for the bone.

Longevity of implant

• In terms of longevity of the clinical studies supporting nano/micro scale titanium-based implants, there is more research that is necessary. In correspondence to the modifications made through implantation, there also must be some sort of correspondence between the implantation and the bone remodeling process. Due to the fact that this study is fairly new, it is highly possible to use these methods for implantation for accelerated bone healing yet until further research can be done in terms of bone remodeling alongside implantation on a nano scale, it can be used in clinical trial but not worldwide biomedically.

​

Video

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2AkLaJ04qY

​

Conclusion

• As seen within the review, nano/micro scale implantation is not limited by category but by other naturally occurring processes and functions within the human body. Specifically, the use of nano/micro scale implantation for enhanced osseointegration will continue to be researched and studied until it can be utilized on a large commercial scale. For now, the process of bone remodeling must be studied in depth in relation to nano/micro scale implantation in order for there to be any type of advancement to the biomedical industry on a commercial scale. Hopefully in the soon to be future nano/micro scale implantation will be used globally in the hopes of providing a less invasive and high-risk option for those in need.
•  

​

References

• Ammar Arsiwala, Preshita Desai, Vandana Patravale, Recent advances in micro/nanoscale biomedical implants, Journal of Controlled Release, Volume 189, 2014, Pages 25-45, ISSN0168-3659
• Souza JC., Sordi MB, Kanazawa M, et al. Nano-scale modification of titanium implant surfaces to enhance osseointegration. Acta biomaterialia. 2019;94:112-131. doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2019.05.04
• Yeo, I.-S.L. Modifications of Dental Implant Surfaces at the Micro- and Nano-Level for Enhanced Osseointegration. Materials 2020, 13, 89. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13010089
•  
•  
•  

​