Osseointegration of anodized titanium implants coated with poly(lactide-co-glycolide)/basic fibroblast growth factor by electrospray

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in combination with a biodegradable polymer coated onto titanium implants. The implants were inserted in rabbit tibiae, and bone growth was examined by histomorphometric analysis. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight threaded anodized implants were inserted into the tibiae of 12 rabbits. After 12 weeks of healing, an evaluation was made by light microscopy and computerized image analysis. A total of 56 anodized titanium implants were prepared as follows: group 1 was anodized under 300 V; group 2 was anodized then coated with 0.02 mL poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles; group 3 was anodized then coated with 0.02 mL PLGA/bFGF nanoparticles (10 ng bFGF); and group 4 was anodized then coated with 0.2 mL PLGA/bFGF nanoparticles (100 ng bFGF). Results: Nanosized particles were observed on the coated implant surfaces. The mean diameter of the nanoparticles was 268.6 ± 93.2 nm. The mean boneto- implant contact (BIC) percentage in group 4 (44.7%) was significantly greater than that seen in groups 1 (31.4%) and 2 (33.6%) (P < .05). Conclusions: The results of this preliminary study show that coating a titanium implant with PLGA incorporated with bFGF by electrospray may stimulate bone formation adjacent to the surface of an implant inserted in bone.