The effect of zinc-containing calcium phosphate coating on the osseointegration of transcutaneous implants for limb prosthetics

Introduction Increasing the integration of transcutaneous implants is an important goal for their application in clinical practice.

The purpose of the work was to evaluate the osseointegration of transcutaneous titanium implants with calcium-phosphate coating containing zinc ions.

Materials and methods The studies were performed on 12 male rabbits, who underwent implantation of an original implant into the tibial stump. After implantation, a compression device was installed on the bone, maintaining a load of 3.5 N for 5 weeks. Duration of observation was 26 weeks. The animals were divided into two groups: a control group (n = 6) with an implant without coating and an experimental group (n = 6) with a zinc-substituted calcium-phosphate coated implant.

Results The implant fell out in one case in animals from the control group; no cases of implant loss were noted in the experimental group. It was revealed that the weight concentration of Ca and P in all zones of the bone-implant block of the animals in the experimental group significantly exceeded similar indicators in  the  control group. In the control group, long-term persistence of high levels of C-reactive protein was noted, which was not observed in the experimental group.

Discussion This series of studies has shown that an implant with a zinc-modified calcium-phosphate coating exhibited a more effective integration, in contrast to an uncoated product. The absence of serious adverse reactions to the tested products indicates acceptable tolerability and safety of its use.

Conclusion The implants with a zinc-modified calcium-phosphate coating showed signs of more effective osseointegration compared to the product without additional coating.

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