Adherence to the principles of Osseointegration, a term founded by Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark after his important breakthrough in the 1950s when he discovered that bone can integrate with titanium components, is the foundation for all clinical applications.

Direct connection between anchoring element and living bone
After 6 years of function, metal fatigue occurred and specimen was removed by a trephine and cut longitudinally into two halves with a diamond disc, but with bone tissue still firmly – and inseparably – adhering to the titanium surface.
High resolution scanning electron micrograph of an osteoblast with its cellular process adapted to the surface of the fixture. Micrograph by Hans-Arne Hansson, 1985
Anatomy of Osseointegration. Compartment of anchorage composed of continuously remodeling and reorganizing interfacial tissue and titanium at the cellular as well as at the molecular level of dimensions.
Screw-connected components; fixture, abutment and center screw for the attachment of the prosthesis.

A titanium screw-shaped implant – fixture – is carefully placed in the bone and – amazingly enough – the genetic code that commonly makes bone reject a foreign material is not activated. Instead nature allows bone cells to attach to the titanium surface and the result is a firm and permanent anchorage for a prosthetic reconstruction.
Professor Brånemark named his discovery from the Latin word os – which means bone, and integrate – which means make whole, which can also be expressed as interactive coexistence.

Osseoperception

Quality care encompasses not only the follow-up of implant and prosthetic stability, but also function. Osseoperception,    which makes it possible for bone-anchored prosthetics to communicate with the mind via the patient´s central nervous system facilitates function in virtually every case.

If our ambition is restitutio ad integrum ( “to restore the original condition”) the need for sensory evaluation becomes self-evident.

P-I Brånemark, October 2010.