Per-Ingvar Brånemark
Encyclopedia
Per-Ingvar Brånemark is a Swedish
orthopedic surgeon and research professor, touted as the "father of modern dental implant
ology." The Brånemark Osseointegration
Center (BOC), named after its founder, was founded in 1989 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
in Sweden, Brånemark became professor of Anatomy
at Gothenburg University
in 1969.
Brånemark has been awarded many prizes for his work, including the coveted Swedish Society of Medicine's Soederberg Prize in 1992 - often referred to as the 'mini-Nobel
' - and the Swedish Engineering Academy's equally prestigious medal for technical innovation.
Brånemark has also been honored with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine Medal
for his work on dental implant
s in the United States
and holds more than 30 honorary positions throughout Europe
and North America
, including the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Society of Medicine
in the UK
.
In 2003 Per-Ingvar Brånemark, received an honorary doctorate from the Universidad Europea de Madrid
Consensus Conference was held, sponsored jointly by the National Institutes of Health
and Harvard University
. It was a landmark event, at which retrospective
data on Dental implant
s were collected and analyzed and criteria and standards for implant dentistry were established.
In 1982 in Toronto, Brånemark presented work that had begun 15 years earlier in Gothenburg. His discovery and application of osseointegration
, or the biological fusion of bone
to a foreign material, was unparalleled and such scientific documentation of implantology had never before been gathered. The Toronto conference brought widespread recognition to the Brånemark implant methods and materials and is one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs in dentistry
since the late 1970's.
The Brånemark System of dental implants was bought out and is currently available from Nobel Biocare
.
revolutionized the realm of implant dentistry and brought it from being a shunned field into one that became recognized and incorporated into dental school curricula and training programs.
Prior to the discovery of osseointegration
, dental implant technology consisted of blade and transosteal implants. Blade implants, introduced in 1967, consisted of a metal blade that was placed within a bony incision that subsequently healed over the horizontally situated piece of metal but allowed a vertical segment to perforate the healed surface. Transosteal implants, the application of which was strictly limited to the mandible, consisted of a number of screws which were inserted into the inferior aspect of the mandible, some of which extended through and through into the oral cavity.
Both of these implant types relied on mechanical retention, as it was heretofor unknown that metal could be fused into the bone. With the advent of osseointegration
, however, rootform endosteal implants became the new standard in implant technology.
Brånemark's serendipitous
discovery of osseointegration occurred in 1952 during vital
microscopy
studies in rabbit
s. He and his team found that titanium
ocular
s placed into the femur
s of rabbits could not be removed from the bone after a period of healing. He then developed and tested a type of dental implant utilizing pure titanium screws, which he termed fixtures.
Although the field of implantology was eschewed by dental academia until that time, the "extensive and weighty documentation of implant efficacy and safety" and "early replication by reliable, independent researchers resulted in the widespread embrace of implantology by the dental community.
Brånemark's son, Rickard, has taken this success and is developing orthopedic prostheses
in the form of artificial arms and legs anchored to the human skeleton
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
orthopedic surgeon and research professor, touted as the "father of modern dental implant
Dental implant
A dental implant is a "root" device, usually made of titanium, used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth....
ology." The Brånemark Osseointegration
Osseointegration
Osseointegration derives from the Greek osteon, bone, and the Latin integrare, to make whole. The term refers to the direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing artificial implant...
Center (BOC), named after its founder, was founded in 1989 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Biography
After studying at Lund UniversityLund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
in Sweden, Brånemark became professor of Anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
at Gothenburg University
Gothenburg University
The University of Gothenburg is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg.- Character :The University of Gothenburg is the third-oldest Swedish university, and with 24,900 full-time students it is also among the largest universities in the Nordic countries...
in 1969.
Brånemark has been awarded many prizes for his work, including the coveted Swedish Society of Medicine's Soederberg Prize in 1992 - often referred to as the 'mini-Nobel
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
' - and the Swedish Engineering Academy's equally prestigious medal for technical innovation.
Brånemark has also been honored with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine Medal
Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Harvard School of Dental Medicine is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. It is an American dental school located in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to the DMD degree, HSDM offers specialty training programs, advanced training programs, a Ph.D...
for his work on dental implant
Dental implant
A dental implant is a "root" device, usually made of titanium, used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth....
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and holds more than 30 honorary positions throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, including the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Society of Medicine
Royal Society of Medicine
The Royal Society of Medicine is a British charitable organisation whose main purpose is as a provider of medical education, running over 350 meetings and conferences each year.- History and overview :...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In 2003 Per-Ingvar Brånemark, received an honorary doctorate from the Universidad Europea de Madrid
Dental implantology
In 1978, the first Dental implantDental implant
A dental implant is a "root" device, usually made of titanium, used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth....
Consensus Conference was held, sponsored jointly by the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
and Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. It was a landmark event, at which retrospective
Retrospective
Retrospective generally means to take a look back at events that already have taken place. For example, the term is used in medicine, describing a look back at a patient's medical history or lifestyle.-Music:...
data on Dental implant
Dental implant
A dental implant is a "root" device, usually made of titanium, used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth....
s were collected and analyzed and criteria and standards for implant dentistry were established.
In 1982 in Toronto, Brånemark presented work that had begun 15 years earlier in Gothenburg. His discovery and application of osseointegration
Osseointegration
Osseointegration derives from the Greek osteon, bone, and the Latin integrare, to make whole. The term refers to the direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing artificial implant...
, or the biological fusion of bone
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
to a foreign material, was unparalleled and such scientific documentation of implantology had never before been gathered. The Toronto conference brought widespread recognition to the Brånemark implant methods and materials and is one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs in dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
since the late 1970's.
The Brånemark System of dental implants was bought out and is currently available from Nobel Biocare
Nobel Biocare
Nobel Biocare is a company operating in dental implantology and aesthetic dental solutions. The headquarters are located in Kloten near Zurich, Switzerland...
.
Discovery of osseointegration
Brånemark's discovery of osseointegrationOsseointegration
Osseointegration derives from the Greek osteon, bone, and the Latin integrare, to make whole. The term refers to the direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing artificial implant...
revolutionized the realm of implant dentistry and brought it from being a shunned field into one that became recognized and incorporated into dental school curricula and training programs.
Prior to the discovery of osseointegration
Osseointegration
Osseointegration derives from the Greek osteon, bone, and the Latin integrare, to make whole. The term refers to the direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing artificial implant...
, dental implant technology consisted of blade and transosteal implants. Blade implants, introduced in 1967, consisted of a metal blade that was placed within a bony incision that subsequently healed over the horizontally situated piece of metal but allowed a vertical segment to perforate the healed surface. Transosteal implants, the application of which was strictly limited to the mandible, consisted of a number of screws which were inserted into the inferior aspect of the mandible, some of which extended through and through into the oral cavity.
Both of these implant types relied on mechanical retention, as it was heretofor unknown that metal could be fused into the bone. With the advent of osseointegration
Osseointegration
Osseointegration derives from the Greek osteon, bone, and the Latin integrare, to make whole. The term refers to the direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing artificial implant...
, however, rootform endosteal implants became the new standard in implant technology.
Brånemark's serendipitous
Serendipity
Serendipity means a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise"; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful without looking for it. The word has been voted as one of the ten English words hardest to translate in June 2004 by a British translation company. However, due to its...
discovery of osseointegration occurred in 1952 during vital
Vital
Vital or Vitals may refer to:* VITAL for Children, a charitable organisation* Vitalism, the doctrine that life cannot be explained solely by mechanism* Vitalism , the Jain teacher Mahāvīra's philosophy...
microscopy
Microscopy
Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view samples and objects that cannot be seen with the unaided eye...
studies in rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s. He and his team found that titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
ocular
Eyepiece
An eyepiece, or ocular lens, is a type of lens that is attached to a variety of optical devices such as telescopes and microscopes. It is so named because it is usually the lens that is closest to the eye when someone looks through the device. The objective lens or mirror collects light and brings...
s placed into the femur
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
s of rabbits could not be removed from the bone after a period of healing. He then developed and tested a type of dental implant utilizing pure titanium screws, which he termed fixtures.
Although the field of implantology was eschewed by dental academia until that time, the "extensive and weighty documentation of implant efficacy and safety" and "early replication by reliable, independent researchers resulted in the widespread embrace of implantology by the dental community.
Brånemark's son, Rickard, has taken this success and is developing orthopedic prostheses
Prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
in the form of artificial arms and legs anchored to the human skeleton
Human skeleton
The human skeleton consists of both fused and individual bones supported and supplemented by ligaments, tendons, muscles and cartilage. It serves as a scaffold which supports organs, anchors muscles, and protects organs such as the brain, lungs and heart....
.