Osseointegration
Pronunciation: oh-see-oh-in-teh-GRAY-shun
The direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing implant, without intervening soft tissue.
Full Definition
Osseointegration, a concept introduced by Per-Ingvar Brånemark, describes the stable anchorage of a dental or orthopaedic implant achieved through direct bone apposition to the implant surface at the microscopic level. In dental research, osseointegration is the gold-standard outcome measure for implant success studies. It is assessed radiographically, histologically, and via resonance frequency analysis (RFA). Editors working on implant research manuscripts should note that 'osseointegration' is spelled as one word (no hyphen) and should not be conflated with 'bone ingrowth', which is a related but distinct term used in orthopaedic contexts. The adjective form is 'osseointegrated'.
Usage
Usage note: Always spell as one unhyphenated word. The related verb 'to osseointegrate' is acceptable in research prose. Do not use 'osseointegration' as a synonym for general bone healing.
In Context
- "Histomorphometric analysis confirmed osseointegration at all six implant sites by week twelve." — Animal study results section
- "The term 'osseo-integration' appears with a hyphen three times in the manuscript; it should be rendered as a single unhyphenated word throughout." — Copy-editing note