IN VITRO RESPONSE OF OSTEOBLASTIC AND FIBROBLASTIC CELLS TO WATER-JET TREATED TITANIUM SURFACES

摘要

Small-scale interactions between orthopaedic implants and biological systems impact how well devices will integrate in the human body. The response to these implant interfaces is fundamentally affected by the nature of the biomaterial that it is composed of, with key characteristics including surface chemistry and topography. It is generally accepted that rough implant surfaces have a more pronounced and beneficial influence on cellular activity than smooth ones. For this reason, methods to roughen metallic surfaces, such as sandblasting and acid etching, are currently used in the biomedical sector. In collaboration with VLN Advanced Technologies Inc, we propose to demonstrate the potential of Pulsed Water Jet (PWJ) as an effective method to modify the surface of titanium, the gold standard for biomedical implants, with a technique which only uses water. Inspired by previous collaborative work, we assessed the efficacy of PWJ modified titanium on the bioactivity of a fibroblastic cells (NIH-3T3), reflective of possible types encountered in current and future therapeutic implant implementations. Preliminary results have shown that PWJ modification of titanium is effective in the generation of surfaces with distinct nano- and microscale structural attributes which follow a gradient correlated with variable nozzle speeds. Preliminary results indicate cell-specific differential effects of these surfaces with larger fibroblastic NIH3T3 cells preferring balanced surfaces generated from a nozzle speed of 800 mm/s. Ultimately, the application of this environmentally-friendly and contaminant-free technique to industrial processes will permit to obtain implants that integrates in bone more rapidly while decreasing the manufacturing costs.