The three-dimensional bone interface of an osseointegrated implant: a method for study.
To clarify the three-dimensional bone structure around a plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite-coated endosseous dental implant, bone contact with the implant at 75 microns intervals was evaluated. Based on digitized data, three-dimensional graphics of the bone around the implant was clearly shown. These graphics provide adequate information on the bone-implant interface and also suggest development of a realistic finite element model.