Biomaterial osseointegration enhancement with biophysical stimulation

Abstract

Despite the ongoing improvement in implant characteristics, bone intrinsic potential for regeneration may be stimulated with adjuvant therapies to standard surgical procedures, as it is important to achieve the best possible implant osseointegration into the adjacent bone and to ensure therefore long-term implant stability. For this purpose various pharmacological, biological or biophysical modalities have been developed, such as bone grafting materials, pharmacological agents, growth factors and bone morphogenetic proteins. Biophysical stimulation of osseointegration includes two non-invasive and safe methods that have been initially developed to enhance fracture healing: pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) and lowintensity ultrasounds (LIPUS), for which most studies confirm their beneficial effects. The present paper is an overview of bone-implant osseointegration and the current trends on its enhancement, focusing mainly on the two methods of biophysical stimulation.