
Straumann has received a US patent for a bioactive coating for their implants. Their modified sandblasted and acid-etched (SLA) surface is coated with an Arg–Gly–Asp (RGD)-peptide-modified polymer (PLL-g-PEG/PEG–RGD). According to a study by Danny Buser, RGD-coated implants demonstrated significantly higher percentages of bone-to-implant contact as compared with controls at 2 weeks. The hypothesized mechanism is that the attachment of RGD peptides directed towards integrin receptors on the PEGylated surface promotes adhesion of cells of mesenchymal origin e.g. osteoblasts to the