Establishment of a Rat Peri-Implantitis Model via Maxillary Titanium Implant Placement and Porphyromonas gingivalis-Ligature Induction

Xiaotong Fan; Yaping Chen; Lin Chen; Jinghan Wang; Liang Shi; Jiaqi Wu; Yilin Rao; Zhongchao Wang; Liyuan Fan

doi:10.3791/69682

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Method Article

Establishment of a Rat Peri-Implantitis Model via Maxillary Titanium Implant Placement and Porphyromonas gingivalis-Ligature Induction

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DOI:

10.3791/69682

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March 6th, 2026

Xiaotong Fan^*¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Yaping Chen^*¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Lin Chen^*¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Jinghan Wang^*¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Liang Shi¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Jiaqi Wu⁵ , Yilin Rao⁶ , Zhongchao Wang²^,³^,⁴^,⁷ , Liyuan Fan¹^,²^,³^,⁴

¹Department of Prosthodontics, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Southwest Medical University, ²School of Stomatology, Southwest Medical University, ³Institute of Stomatology, Southwest Medical University, ⁴Orofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration Laboratory, Southwest Medical University, ⁵The First People's Hospital of Yibin, ⁶The Second People's Hospital of Deyang, ⁷Department of Periodontics & Oral Mucosal Diseases, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital, Southwest Medical University

^* These authors contributed equally

Summary

This study established a rat model of peri-implantitis using maxillary titanium implants, involving teeth extraction, surgical implantation of titanium fixtures, and subsequent induction of inflammatory bone loss via Porphyromonas gingivalis-soaked ligature placement around the implant neck after healing.

Abstract

Peri-implantitis (PI) is a leading cause of dental implant failure, characterized by inflammatory soft tissue lesions and progressive bone loss, necessitating reliable animal models for mechanistic and therapeutic research. This study established a novel rat model that synergistically combines mechanical irritation with bacterial infection to better mimic the pathogenesis of human PI. Following the extraction of the maxillary first molars in 12 male Sprague-Dawley rats (4-week-old) and an 8-week healing period, titanium implants were placed. After 4 weeks of osseointegration, the PI group (n = 6) received ligatures soaked with Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) around the implant necks, while the negative controls (NC) group (n = 6) received no ligature treatment. Two weeks post-induction, analyses via Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histology revealed significant alveolar bone loss and severe soft tissue inflammation, including marked inflammatory cell infiltration and tissue destruction, in the PI group compared to the NC group. This validated model effectively recapitulated key features of clinical PI. Its limitations include a simplified mono-pathogen challenge and an accelerated disease course compared to human PI. Nonetheless, it provides a robust and clinically relevant tool for investigative and therapeutic studies.

Introduction

With advancements in prosthetic dentistry, dental implants see continuously expanding clinical application¹. However, peri-implantitis (PI), as the most prevalent complication, significantly compromises the long-term survival of dental implants and leads to persistent detrimental effects on patients' oral health². PI is a pathological inflammatory condition of the peri-implant tissues, primarily driven by dysbiosis of the plaque biofilm microbiome, and is characterized by progressive inflammation of the peri-implant soft tissues and subsequent loss of supporting bone³^,^....