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Journal of Oral Science & Rehabilitation Volume 2 | Issue 3/2016 17 A r g o n p l a s m a t r e a t m e n t o f t i t a n i u m i m p l a n t s Introduction Argonplasmaiswidelyemployedasthefinalstep ofthemanufacturingprocessoftitaniumimplant fixtures beforetheirsterilization bygamma rays. Withthistreatment, a sprayofargon underpres- sure at room temperature is used to clean im- plants and remove microbiological and organic contaminants from the metal surface. At the same time, however, the atomic bombardment towhichthetitanium surface is subjected, caus- es its activation, that is, a state of excitation of the electronic mantle and the modification of its physicochemical and biological features.1 The activation obtained duringthe manufac- turing phase is temporary and will have ceased once the implant fixture is used clinically. It has been suggested that the reactivation of the ti- tanium surface by argon plasma immediately before the implant positioning in the oral cavity could be advantageous in terms of the integra- tion of both hard and soft periimplant tissue. In vitro and animal studies performed in ste- rile environments have shown an increased sur- face energy and an enhanced early biomecha- nical fixation of dental implants pretreated by argon plasma.2–4 Furthermore, preliminary re- sults have suggested that treatment oftitanium abutments by argon plasma may enhance cell adhesion at the early stage of periimplant soft-tissue healing5 and marginal bone preser- vation over time.6 However, no data are availa- ble about the possible effect of this treatment on the implant surface receptivity toward en- vironmental bacteria and on the risk of sterility loss of the fixture just before its surgical place- ment. The aim of the present study was to test whether the treatment of implant fixtures by argon plasma in conditions compatible with cli- nical use produced an increased risk of micro- biological contamination. Materials and methods Thirty(15 control and 15 test) sterile Grade 4 tita- nium implant fixtures with a sandblasted and acid-etchedsurface(ZirTi,averagesurfacerough- ness of 1.3 μm; Sweden & Martina, Due Carrare, Padua, Italy) were used for this study. Control implants were directly transferred with sterile tweezers from their original packaging into test tubes containing 5 ml of Luria-Bertani broth (Oxoid, Basingstoke, UK) and incubated at 37 °C for72 h.Test implantswere inserted into a metal- lic holder (Fig. 1) and pretreated in an argon plas- machamber(PlasmaR,Dienerelectronic,Ebhau- sen,Germany)for12minatroomtemperatureand then transferred to culture broth. In orderto sim- ulate the clinical practice and environment, the time betweenthe removalofeachfixturefrom its sterile package, or from the argon plasma cham- ber, and its immersion in the culture broth was standardized at 60 s and the transfer was per- formed in a nonprotective environment. Three independent experiments were carried out under the same conditions. Fig. 1 Test implants inserted into a metallic holder before pretreatment in the argon plasma chamber. Fig. 1 Volume 2 | Issue 3/201617