Evaluation of the Radiological and Structural Feasibility of Osseointegration of Lanthanum Hexaboride (LaB<sub>6</sub>)-Coated Titanium Alloy Implants in a Rat Vertebral Model.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 42288253.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.wneu.2026.125132.
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Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the osseointegration of titanium alloy instrumentation commonly used in spinal disorders, which hold significant importance in terms of cost and morbidity, by applying a lanthanum hexaboride(LaB<sub>6</sub>)-coating-a boron-containing compound selected for its superior mechanical stability and potential osteoinductive properties-using high-resolution ex-vivo micro-computerized tomography(micro-CT). This study is structured as a radiological and structural feasibility evaluation to establish a foundation for future translational research. 24-male-rats were randomly selected; LaB<sub>6</sub>-functionalized titanium alloy(Ti6Al4V) implants prepared by the Physical Vapor Deposition(PVD) method were implanted in 12 rats, while the remaining 12 rats in the control group received Ti6Al4V implants implanted into vertebrae. The degree of osseointegration was evaluated at 1 and 2 months post-implantation using micro-CT analysis based on the Bone-Implant-Contact(BIC) and Bone Volume/Tissue Volume(BV/TV) ratios. According to micro-CT analysis, at the end of the 1-month analysis, statistically significant differences were observed in favor of LaB<sub>6</sub>-coated-implants regarding BIC(p=0.025) and BV/TV(p=0.016) values in the vertebrae of the subjects. Similarly, at the end of the 2-month analysis, significant results favoring LaB<sub>6</sub>-coated-implants were obtained in both BIC(p=0.037) and BV/TV(p=0.037) values. Traditionally widely used Ti6Al4V implants, when subjected tosurface modification with LaB<sub>6</sub>, have been observed to provide significantly enhanced osseointegration with higher BIC-BV/TV ratios, thus offering a more effective bone-implant interface. In this study, the first of its kind in the field of neurosurgery and spinal implantation, LaB<sub>6</sub>-modified-implants show promising potential for high osseointegration, suggesting their beneficial use in this area, and further research in this field is warranted.