Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Wool-derived keratin hydrogel enhances implant osseointegration in cancellous bone

  • Warwick J. Duncan*
  • , Philippa F.C. Greer
  • , Min Ho Lee
  • , Carolina Loch
  • , Jennifer H.A. Gay
  • *Corresponding author for this work
  • University of Otago

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Abstract

Aim: This study investigated whether a keratin hydrogel derived from wool enhances ossointegration of dental implants, using a cancellous bone model in sheep. Method: Ten female sheep received one dental implant per hind leg in the distal femoral condyles. Test implants were coated with 1 mL of keratin hydrogel containing sulphonated keratin and hydroxyapatite; control implants remained uncoated; implants were not functionally loaded axially. Biomechanical stability was tested with resonance frequency analysis (RFA) at placement and euthanasia. Animals were sacrificed after 4 weeks and resin-embedded histomorphometry performed. Findings: Bone appeared denser and more mature around the keratin-treated test implants. Average % bone–implant contact was significantly increased for the test (58.1 ± 4.6 [SD]%) compared to control implants (34.4 ± 7.5%) (p = 0.01). RFA values were lower for control (76.5 ± 4.2 ISQ) than test implants (80.4 ± 1.4) after 4 weeks (p = 0.04). Conclusion: the increase in osseointegration found in this model suggests that keratin hydrogel has the potential to enhance the successful osseointegration of dental implants placed into poor quality bone.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2447-2454
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Biomedical Materials Research - Part B Applied Biomaterials
Volume106
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018.08

Keywords

  • animal models
  • dental implants
  • histomorphometric
  • keratins
  • osseointegration

Quacquarelli Symonds(QS) Subject Topics

  • Materials Science
  • Biological Sciences

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Wool-derived keratin hydrogel enhances implant osseointegration in cancellous bone'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this