Comparing Biocompatibility of Titanium Orthopaedic Implants with and without an Ultra-thin Coating of TiO_2 by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition

摘要

The evaluation of the biocompatibility of orthopaedic implants is a main factor in the validating their healing potential. Titanium (Ti) has this unique trait along with other reliable mechanical properties, which makes it a perfect choice for orthopaedic purposes. Namavar et al. employed ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) technique to coat a thin nano-layer of titanium oxide over different surfaces in order to increase their osseointegration properties. To compare the properties of the newly engineered nano-crystalline TiO_2 surface with bulk Ti, we have studied the osteoblast functions and cellular responses on these surfaces -including adhesion, growth, and mineralization- using a human osteoblast-like cell line (SAOS-2). The correlation between surface properties and cellular responses was studied using immunofluorescence techniques and alizarin red assay. The result of this study indicated that nano-engineered TiO_2 surface is superior in supporting of cellular responses of bone-forming cells as compared to orthopaedic grade Ti.