The effect of low-magnitude high-frequency loading on peri-implant bone healing and implant osseointegration in Beagle dogs

Low-magnitude, high-frequency (LMHF) loading plays an important role in bone healing. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of LMHF loading applied directly to titanium dental implants on peri-implant bone healing and implant osseointegration. The mandibular premolars and molars were extracted from six male Beagle dogs. Three months post-extraction, each of the six dogs had three titanium implants (Aadva Standard Implant Narrow, Φ3.3 × 8 mm) inserted into the mandibular premolar and molar area (three implants per side). In each animal, one side was randomly selected to undergo daily LMHF loading (treatment group), while the other side had no further intervention (control). The loading was applied directly to the implant abutment using an individual jig and a custom-made loading device (8 μm, 100 Hz). The implant stability quotient (ISQ) was tested every week. Three dogs were euthanized after 2 weeks, and three were euthanized after 8 weeks. Tissue samples were fixed and stained for micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histomorphometric analyses. Data were analyzed statistically, with significance set at p < 0.05. The treatment group had significantly increased peri-implant bone volume relative to tissue volume in region of interest 2 (100–500 μm) compared with the control group after 2 weeks of loading (p < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference between groups after 8 weeks. The ISQ value and the micro-CT results did not differ between groups during the study period. LMHF loading positively influenced peri-implant bone healing in the early healing period.