In situ formation of bioactive calcium titanate coatings on titanium screws for medical implants

• Published in: RSC advances 2016, Vol.6 (58), p.53182-53187
• Main Authors: Zhu, Yinhui, Wang, Xiaokang, Zhou, Yilong, Zhao, Cuilian, Yuan, Jianmin, Wu, Zhenjun, Wu, Song, Wang, Shuangyin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2046-2069; 2046-2069
• DOI: 10.1039/C6RA06597J

The objective of this study was to improve the biocompatibility of titanium screws using a hydrothermal technique combined with chemical oxidation treatment. Bioactive calcium titanate (CaTiO 3 ) coatings were synthesized on titanium screws by alkali heat treatment without sintering. A cell-based experiment was conducted to evaluate cell attachment and proliferation on the surface of modified titanium screws. Cells grown on the CaTiO 3 -coated surfaces (denoted CT-TI) had a higher proliferation rate than their counterparts grown on titanium screws without any surface modification (denoted TI-TI). The results indicated that the CaTiO 3 coatings improved the surface bioadhesion characteristics of titanium screws. The biocompatibility of CaTiO 3 coatings on titanium was also investigated by implanting titanium screws covered with CaTiO 3 coatings into living bone. The interface between the bone tissue and titanium screws was observed by environmental scanning electron microscopy 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after implantation. The boundaries between the bone tissue and the titanium screws coated with CaTiO 3 became indistinguishable more quickly than that between bone tissue and titanium screws without any surface modification. Thus, the biocompatibility of titanium screws coated with CaTiO 3 was higher than that of titanium screws without any surface modification. Therefore, the hydrothermal technique is an excellent surface-modification method to improve the biocompatibility of titanium screws. We have great confidence that these surface-modified titanium screws will be useful in in vivo bone.