Strontium-coating of orthodontic miniscrews provides higher osseointegration – A rat model studied by histology, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and diffraction imaging

Natalie Schenz-Spisic; Thorbjørn E.K. Christensen; Jonas Palle; Maja Østergaard; Maiken Berglund; Johannes Hubner; Hannes Huber; Irene Artioli; Vincent Offermanns; Chunying Chen; Morten Foss; Adriano G. Crismani; Henrik Birkedal

doi:10.1016/j.mtla.2025.102385

Strontium-coating of orthodontic miniscrews provides higher osseointegration – A rat model studied by histology, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and diffraction imaging

Natalie Schenz-Spisic, Thorbjørn E.K. Christensen, Jonas Palle, Maja Østergaard, Maiken Berglund, Johannes Hubner, Hannes Huber, Irene Artioli, Vincent Offermanns, Chunying Chen, Morten Foss, Adriano G. Crismani^*, Henrik Birkedal^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

The objective of this animal study was to evaluate the osseointegration of loaded strontium-functionalized orthodontic miniscrews (Ti-Sr-O) and the effect of the Sr coating on the elemental composition of the bone as well as the coating's effects on bone mineral size and orientation. Strontium-containing coated (Ti-Sr-O) miniscrews and grade 4 titanium miniscrews (Ti) were inserted into either tibia of thirty male Wistar rats and loaded through a coil spring. After a two-, four- and six-week healing period, specimens were analyzed via histomorphometry to measure bone-to-implant contact (BIC%) and peri‑implant bone formation (BF%) in defined regions of interest (ROI-1; ROI-2). Furthermore, samples were investigated at the P06 synchrotron beamline to simultaneous measure the atomic composition with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and the crystallite size/orientation with X-ray diffraction (XRD). After two weeks Ti-Sr-O functionalized miniscrews showed significantly more bone formation in ROI-1 than in the control group with Ti miniscrews at the tension (p**=0.005) and compression side (p*=0.018). The investigation by 2D XRF and XRD Mapping with a 0.4 µm beam resulted in multiple significant changes in comparison to the controls. The XRF showed a significant increase in the Sr/Ca level in the peri implant bone, and XRD showed significant changes in degree of orientation of the crystallographic c-axis, and for the apparent crystallite size perpendicular to the crystallographic c direction. These changes depend on the treatment and Sr/Ca level. The results suggest advantageous osseointegration of Sr-coated miniscrews under immediate loading. This resulted in changes in the microscopic organization of the bone biomineral.

Original language	English
Article number	102385
Journal	Materialia
Volume	40
Number of pages	17
ISSN	2589-1529
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2025.102385
Publication status	Published - May 2025

Keywords

Biofunctionalization
Bone
Dental
Orthodontic miniscrews
Osteointegration
Strontium

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Schenz-Spisic, N., Christensen, T. E. K., Palle, J., Østergaard, M., Berglund, M., Hubner, J., Huber, H., Artioli, I., Offermanns, V., Chen, C., Foss, M., Crismani, A. G., & Birkedal, H. (2025). Strontium-coating of orthodontic miniscrews provides higher osseointegration – A rat model studied by histology, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and diffraction imaging. Materialia, 40, Article 102385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2025.102385

@article{e7093d974ebe44b18556983e9e867f24,

title = "Strontium-coating of orthodontic miniscrews provides higher osseointegration – A rat model studied by histology, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and diffraction imaging",

abstract = "The objective of this animal study was to evaluate the osseointegration of loaded strontium-functionalized orthodontic miniscrews (Ti-Sr-O) and the effect of the Sr coating on the elemental composition of the bone as well as the coating's effects on bone mineral size and orientation. Strontium-containing coated (Ti-Sr-O) miniscrews and grade 4 titanium miniscrews (Ti) were inserted into either tibia of thirty male Wistar rats and loaded through a coil spring. After a two-, four- and six-week healing period, specimens were analyzed via histomorphometry to measure bone-to-implant contact (BIC%) and peri‑implant bone formation (BF%) in defined regions of interest (ROI-1; ROI-2). Furthermore, samples were investigated at the P06 synchrotron beamline to simultaneous measure the atomic composition with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and the crystallite size/orientation with X-ray diffraction (XRD). After two weeks Ti-Sr-O functionalized miniscrews showed significantly more bone formation in ROI-1 than in the control group with Ti miniscrews at the tension (p**=0.005) and compression side (p*=0.018). The investigation by 2D XRF and XRD Mapping with a 0.4 µm beam resulted in multiple significant changes in comparison to the controls. The XRF showed a significant increase in the Sr/Ca level in the peri implant bone, and XRD showed significant changes in degree of orientation of the crystallographic c-axis, and for the apparent crystallite size perpendicular to the crystallographic c direction. These changes depend on the treatment and Sr/Ca level. The results suggest advantageous osseointegration of Sr-coated miniscrews under immediate loading. This resulted in changes in the microscopic organization of the bone biomineral.",

keywords = "Biofunctionalization, Bone, Dental, Orthodontic miniscrews, Osteointegration, Strontium",

author = "Natalie Schenz-Spisic and Christensen, {Thorbj{\o}rn E.K.} and Jonas Palle and Maja {\O}stergaard and Maiken Berglund and Johannes Hubner and Hannes Huber and Irene Artioli and Vincent Offermanns and Chunying Chen and Morten Foss and Crismani, {Adriano G.} and Henrik Birkedal",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025",

year = "2025",

month = may,

doi = "10.1016/j.mtla.2025.102385",

language = "English",

volume = "40",

journal = "Materialia",

issn = "2589-1529",

publisher = "Elsevier BV",

}

Schenz-Spisic, N, Christensen, TEK, Palle, J, Østergaard, M, Berglund, M, Hubner, J, Huber, H, Artioli, I, Offermanns, V, Chen, C, Foss, M, Crismani, AG & Birkedal, H 2025, 'Strontium-coating of orthodontic miniscrews provides higher osseointegration – A rat model studied by histology, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and diffraction imaging', Materialia, vol. 40, 102385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2025.102385

Strontium-coating of orthodontic miniscrews provides higher osseointegration – A rat model studied by histology, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and diffraction imaging. / Schenz-Spisic, Natalie; Christensen, Thorbjørn E.K.; Palle, Jonas et al.
In: Materialia, Vol. 40, 102385, 05.2025.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Strontium-coating of orthodontic miniscrews provides higher osseointegration – A rat model studied by histology, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and diffraction imaging

AU - Schenz-Spisic, Natalie

AU - Christensen, Thorbjørn E.K.

AU - Palle, Jonas

AU - Østergaard, Maja

AU - Berglund, Maiken

AU - Hubner, Johannes

AU - Huber, Hannes

AU - Artioli, Irene

AU - Offermanns, Vincent

AU - Chen, Chunying

AU - Foss, Morten

AU - Crismani, Adriano G.

AU - Birkedal, Henrik

PY - 2025/5

Y1 - 2025/5

N2 - The objective of this animal study was to evaluate the osseointegration of loaded strontium-functionalized orthodontic miniscrews (Ti-Sr-O) and the effect of the Sr coating on the elemental composition of the bone as well as the coating's effects on bone mineral size and orientation. Strontium-containing coated (Ti-Sr-O) miniscrews and grade 4 titanium miniscrews (Ti) were inserted into either tibia of thirty male Wistar rats and loaded through a coil spring. After a two-, four- and six-week healing period, specimens were analyzed via histomorphometry to measure bone-to-implant contact (BIC%) and peri‑implant bone formation (BF%) in defined regions of interest (ROI-1; ROI-2). Furthermore, samples were investigated at the P06 synchrotron beamline to simultaneous measure the atomic composition with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and the crystallite size/orientation with X-ray diffraction (XRD). After two weeks Ti-Sr-O functionalized miniscrews showed significantly more bone formation in ROI-1 than in the control group with Ti miniscrews at the tension (p**=0.005) and compression side (p*=0.018). The investigation by 2D XRF and XRD Mapping with a 0.4 µm beam resulted in multiple significant changes in comparison to the controls. The XRF showed a significant increase in the Sr/Ca level in the peri implant bone, and XRD showed significant changes in degree of orientation of the crystallographic c-axis, and for the apparent crystallite size perpendicular to the crystallographic c direction. These changes depend on the treatment and Sr/Ca level. The results suggest advantageous osseointegration of Sr-coated miniscrews under immediate loading. This resulted in changes in the microscopic organization of the bone biomineral.

AB - The objective of this animal study was to evaluate the osseointegration of loaded strontium-functionalized orthodontic miniscrews (Ti-Sr-O) and the effect of the Sr coating on the elemental composition of the bone as well as the coating's effects on bone mineral size and orientation. Strontium-containing coated (Ti-Sr-O) miniscrews and grade 4 titanium miniscrews (Ti) were inserted into either tibia of thirty male Wistar rats and loaded through a coil spring. After a two-, four- and six-week healing period, specimens were analyzed via histomorphometry to measure bone-to-implant contact (BIC%) and peri‑implant bone formation (BF%) in defined regions of interest (ROI-1; ROI-2). Furthermore, samples were investigated at the P06 synchrotron beamline to simultaneous measure the atomic composition with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and the crystallite size/orientation with X-ray diffraction (XRD). After two weeks Ti-Sr-O functionalized miniscrews showed significantly more bone formation in ROI-1 than in the control group with Ti miniscrews at the tension (p**=0.005) and compression side (p*=0.018). The investigation by 2D XRF and XRD Mapping with a 0.4 µm beam resulted in multiple significant changes in comparison to the controls. The XRF showed a significant increase in the Sr/Ca level in the peri implant bone, and XRD showed significant changes in degree of orientation of the crystallographic c-axis, and for the apparent crystallite size perpendicular to the crystallographic c direction. These changes depend on the treatment and Sr/Ca level. The results suggest advantageous osseointegration of Sr-coated miniscrews under immediate loading. This resulted in changes in the microscopic organization of the bone biomineral.

KW - Biofunctionalization

KW - Bone

KW - Dental

KW - Orthodontic miniscrews

KW - Osteointegration

KW - Strontium

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105002249544&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.mtla.2025.102385

DO - 10.1016/j.mtla.2025.102385

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:105002249544

SN - 2589-1529

VL - 40

JO - Materialia

JF - Materialia

M1 - 102385

ER -

Strontium-coating of orthodontic miniscrews provides higher osseointegration – A rat model studied by histology, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and diffraction imaging

Abstract

Keywords

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