Bone formation on rough, but not polished, subcutaneously implanted Ti surfaces is preceded by macrophage accumulation.

Implanted rough surfaces have long been associated with the accumulation of macrophages and other cells of the monocytic lineage such as foreign body giant cells and osteoclasts. As cells of the moncytic lineage are part of the immune system, the response of this cell family to biomaterials has attracted wide concern. This study compared events at the interface of implant surface topographies with varied roughness in a rat subcutaneous model.

The use of diagnostic data in clinical dental practice.

This article has briefly introduced the dental clinician to the principles and practical application of diagnostic decision analysis. There are trade-offs and uncertainties in the process of arriving at a diagnosis, but they can be understood and controlled. First, the clinician must understand the significance of disease prevalence and assign to the patient an initial probability of disease being present.

Subcutaneous microfabricated surfaces inhibit epithelial recession and promote long-term survival of percutaneous implants.

The long-term success of percutaneous devices is compromised by problems such as infection, mechanical avulsion and epithelial downgrowth. The objective of this study was to test the effects of microfabricated surfaces on tissue integration and long-term survival of percutaneous implants, using a modified implant design and a two-stage surgical method. Hexagonal titanium-coated epoxy implants were constructed with separate subcutaneous and percutaneous components, so that the effects of surface topography on connective tissue could be separated from the effects on epithelium.