Fig. 1

a Experimental schedule. b Placement positions of proximal and distal implants in rabbit tibiae. c Evaluation of bone-to-implant contact. Red and yellow lines indicate the analyzed length of implants and bone in contact with the implant surface, respectively. d, e Areas of interest (AOIs) for histomorphometric analyses. Orange- and blue-surrounded areas indicate total tissue and bone area, respectively. AOIs are defined as areas surrounding the implant neck to the lower border of the second thread and 0–300 μm away from the implant surface