Clinically retrieved titanium implant cover screws (Brånemark implant system), rinsed in saline or subjected to ultrasonic cleaning and sterilization, as well as unused sterile screws were studied by scanning electron microscopy and implanted in the rat abdominal wall for 6 weeks. Irrespective of cleaning procedure, the heads of the clinically retrieved screws were covered by numerous contaminants not present on the unused screws. The reimplanted screws elicited a different tissue response than the unused screws. The tissue response to the contaminated screws was characterized by a significantly thicker fibrous capsule and by a significantly larger number of macrophages located close to the implant. Moreover, judging from their ultrastructure, studied with transmission electron microscopy, the macrophages appeared to be in a more active state when compared to those located adjacent to unused screws. Keywords: contamination, macrophages, soft-tissue response, titanium implants