Elemental analysis of commercial zirconia dental implants - Is "metal-free" devoid of metals?

Elemental analysis of commercial zirconia dental implants - Is "metal-free" devoid of metals? J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2020 Jul;107:103759 Authors: Gross C, Bergfeldt T, Fretwurst T, Rothweiler R, Nelson K, Stricker A Abstract OBJECTIVES: The interest in ceramic dental implants made of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZP) or alumina toughened zirconia (ATZ) has increased in recent years. However, in the light of aging, corrosion, and potential impurities of zirconia ceramics, the material composition of these implants and the associated term "metal-free" is persistently questioned. Thus, the present study aimed to conduct an elemental analysis of commercial zirconia dental implants to specify their elemental composition and to identify contaminants. METHODS: Nine commercial zirconia dental implant systems and corresponding material samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). RESULTS: While the elemental composition was dominated by the main components Zr, Y and Al (in ATZ samples), all investigated samples contained impurities with Hf and contamination with alkali and alkali earth elements (Na, K, Mg, Ca), essential trace elements (e.g. Fe, Cu, Zn) but also potentially noxious metal elements (e.g. Ni, Cr). Furthermore, ultra-trace level contamination with the radionuclides U-238 and Th-232 was found in the majori...
Source: Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials - Category: Materials Science Authors: Tags: J Mech Behav Biomed Mater Source Type: research