Osseointegration
Pronunciation: os-ee-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. A foundational concept in implant periodontology.
Full Definition
Osseointegration, a term coined by Per-Ingvar Brånemark, describes the direct anchorage of a titanium (or other biocompatible) implant surface to bone at the light-microscopic level, with no fibrous connective tissue interposition. It is the biological basis for the long-term success of dental implants and is evaluated clinically by absence of mobility, pain, and peri-implant radiolucency. Editors working on implant-periodontics documents should note the single-word, unhyphenated spelling. The adjective form is 'osseointegrated.' Confusion with 'osteointegration' (a less common variant spelling) should be flagged. The term is also sometimes incorrectly used to describe bone graft incorporation, which is distinct.
Usage
Usage note: Spell as one unhyphenated word. The variant 'osteointegration' is non-standard; query if encountered. Adjective: 'osseointegrated implant.'
In Context
- "Radiographic and clinical criteria confirmed successful osseointegration at the 6-month evaluation." — Implant outcome study
- "The author's use of 'osteointegration' was flagged and corrected to the standard form 'osseointegration.'" — Copy-editing log