Basel, 18 May 2010: At an official ceremony in London today, Straumann, a global leader in regenerative, restorative and replacement dentistry, will be presented with the 2009 ‘Medical Device Technology of the Year Award’ for Roxolid®, an innovative high performance material for dental implants. The Award, which recognizes excellence in technological innovation, is one of the Best Practices Awards bestowed by Frost & Sullivan, the global growth consulting company.
About Roxolid
The material most commonly used for dental implants today is titanium, which is well known for its biological compatibility with the human body, its resistance to corrosion, and its strength. However, its mechanical properties are limited in the case of small diameter implants, which are needed in narrow spaces. Roxolid is an alloy of titanium and zirconium which combines high tensile and fatigue strengths1 with excellent osseointegration2. It has been designed to increase reliability and confidence with small diameter implants. Rigorous tests in Straumann laboratories have shown that it has higher fatigue3 and tensile strength than pure titanium (grade 4 annealed and cold worked), the current material of choice for dental implants. In addition, preclinical study results have indicated that bone integrated with Roxolid better than with pure titanium (grade 4)4. Additionally, Roxolid can accommodate the sophisticated micro-structuring processes required for Straumann’s SLActive® surface technology, which enhances osseointegration.
Straumann’s largest prelaunch clinical program to date
Roxolid has been undergoing a broad program of clinical trials in 9 countries, the first of which began more than 2 years ago. Involving 60 centers and more than 300 patients, this is one of the largest clinical research programs ever undertaken by a dental implant company prior to market launch. Initial clinical reports have already been presented by lead investigators at recent major congresses2,5,6,7,8. Apart from the clinical program, Roxolid was made available to 450 selected specialists in a controlled release program, in which more than 11 000 implants were distributed. Further information about Roxolid is available at www.straumann.com. For pictures please visit http://straumann.imagedirector.net/albums?album_code=ph3ej3z5w54n.