The present preclinical in vivo study is reported according to the Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE) guidelines, in regard with relevant items [33]. The animal experimental protocol was approved by the Bioethics Committee for Animal Experimentation (CEUA, protocol no. 098/10) at the Federal University of Uberlândia and followed the normative guidelines of the National Council for Animal Control and Experimentation (CONCEA), constituent of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Law no. 11.794, 08/19/2008, Brazil. The in vivo part of the study was conducted between November 2012 and January 2013.

Twenty-four commercially pure Ti implants (10 mm × 4 mm, L × Ø) with a moderately rough surface, produced by means of sandblasting and dual acid-etching with hydrochloric and sulfuric acid were used in the present study. Implants in the control group were only sandblasted and dual acid-etched (SAE; n = 12). In the test group, after sandblasting and dual acid etching, implants received proprietary technology treatment, including microwave treatment and insertion in isotonic saline solution resulting in significantly increased hydrophilicity (SAE-HD; n = 12). These specific implant surfaces exhibit the following 3D surface roughness parameters for SAE and SAE-HD, respectively: S_a 1.44 μm ± 1.15 and 1.26 μm ± 0.17; S_z 14.57 μm ± 1 and 16.20 μm ± 7.8; S_dr 1.51 and 1.21%; S_ds 658.67 1/mm² ± 27.42 and 643.33 1/mm² ± 37.74; and S_sk −0.51 and −0.43 [27]. The chemical composition of the different surfaces was examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The atomic percentage values of carbon were 49 and 17, and 22 and 59 of oxygen in SAE and SAE-HD groups, respectively. The surface energy and wettability was investigated by means of a static contact angle analysis by means of the sessile drop technique [34] applying simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. SAE-HD disks reveal a superhydrophilic behavior (contact angle < 5°), whereas SAE surfaces display superhydrophobic properties (contact angle > 90°).

The implants present similar macrodesign with an external hexagon connection system and cylindrical body containing double triangular threads with high potential for bone compression recommended for type III and IV bone, commercially available as Titamax Ti Ex®. Neodent®^{Footnote 3} supplied all implants.