Surface Modifications of Zirconia Implants

Abstract

Due to the high mechanical properties of zirconia, unlike titanium implants, surface modification that matches the material properties of zirconia should be considered. Zirconia was coated with carbonate-apatite thin films by using molecular precursor method. Implantation into the tibia and femoral condyle of rabbits revealed more new bone formation and provided significantly higher bone-to-implant contact (BIC) ratio. Nanosecond pulsed Nd: YAG lasers were irradiated onto two types of zirconia, yttria added type and ceria added type, surfaces to produce regular structure of concave and convex with 30 μm width and 30 μm depth. Implants placement into a rat femoral defect showed a greater degree of bone formation and higher BIC than that of the sandblasted implants. In ceria-added zirconia, there were no clear bone formation and changes in surface composition affected the bone formation.