Osseointegration
Pronunciation: os-ee-oh-in-teh-GRAY-shun
The direct structural and functional bond between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing implant, used in both dental and prosthetic contexts.
Full Definition
Osseointegration describes the biological process by which a titanium or other biocompatible implant becomes directly bonded to host bone without an intervening soft tissue layer. In limb prosthetics, osseointegrated implants (also called percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses or bone-anchored prostheses) are surgically inserted into the residual limb's medullary canal, allowing the prosthesis to attach directly to the skeleton rather than via a socket. Editors must distinguish the prosthetics-specific application from the dental implantology context, where the same term is used for endosseous dental implants. The standard spelling is 'osseointegration' (no hyphen); variant 'osseo-integration' is non-standard.
Usage
Usage note: Standard spelling is 'osseointegration' (one word, no hyphen). Clarify whether the term refers to limb prosthetics or dental implantology when context is ambiguous.
In Context
- "The study evaluated functional outcomes in transfemoral amputees fitted with osseointegrated prostheses at twelve months post-implantation." — Clinical research article
- "The editor noted that 'osseointegration' was used in both a dental and a limb-prosthetics context within the same document and recommended disambiguation." — Editorial review note