Abstract
The present study dealt with tissue reactions and responses of nerve fibers to implantation in dog mandibles by means of immunohistochemistry concerning neurofilament protein (NFP), a representative of neuron-specific proteins. The NFP-immunostaining succeeded in clear demonstration of chronological alternations in patterns of innervation to implantation in decalcified sections.
The results obtained in this study were summarized as follows:
1. At 1 and 2 weeks after implantation, a number of NFP-immunopositive nerve fibers were found in the granulation tissue around the implant materials and remained so until the completion of bone repair associated with implantation. After that, the NFP-positive nerve fibers gradually decreased in number in the pen-implant tissues. Four weeks after the implantation, the distribution and number of nerve fibers were almost identical to those seen in the bone marrow of the edentulous area.
2. After the establishment of functional ankylosis or osseointegration of implant, neither significant changes in the distribution pattern of NFP-positive nerves nor the incidence of regeneration of sensory receptors were recognized around the implant materials, implicating low probability for the formation of the recognition mechanism in pen-implant tissues.
3. In the case of fibro-osseointegration, a number of nerve fibers showing NFP-immunoreactivity penetrated into a thick layer of fibrous connective tissue, indicating a possible formation of a new recognition mechanism.
