A pilot study of the osseointegration potential of a surface-treated mini-implant: bone contact of implants retrieved from patients.

To evaluate the osseointegration potential of surface-treated mini-implants retrieved from patients by examining bone-to-implant contact (BIC). Five implants from four patients were inspected. The average patient age was 38.1 years, and the average treatment duration 11.4 months. The mini-implants were removed with a trephine bur under saline irrigation. After histologic preparation, the BIC was measured. Under 3003 magnification, an active adherence of bone cells to the treated surface was seen. The mean BIC was 52.6%. This pilot study confirms the osseointegration potential of a surface-treated mini-implant.