Fatigue properties of hydroxyapatite-coated dental implants after exposure to a periodontal pathogen

We studied the fatigue properties of rods (4 mm diameter) of hydroxyapatite-coated, titanium alloy implant material after it was exposed to a periodontal pathogen, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa). We varied the crystallinity of the hydroxyapatite (HA) coating in these rods to the levels of, 60.5%, 52.8%, and 47.8%. Each rod was first inoculated with Aa in the log phase of its growth cycle. After 48 h, we counted the adhered cells. We measured the dissolution of HA coating due to bacterial exposure alone by determining the calcium and phosphate concentrations in the bacterial growth media. Once the adherent bacteria were removed from these rods, we subjected them to 5 million cycles of fatigue testing after immersion in Lactated Ringer's solution. We then determined the calcium and phosphate concentrations in the fatigue media. We found additional coating loss after fatiguing of the samples. This coating loss was a cumulative effect of bacterial exposure and fatigue loading of the hydroxyapatite-coated dental implant alloy. The lower crystallinity sample showed a higher loss of coating within the range of crystallinity studied here. The HA coating in implants during clinical use may undergo such changes, because they are exposed to the same bacteria.