Osteoblasts on hydroxyapatite, alumina and bone surfaces in vitro; morphology during the first 2 h of attachment

• Published in: Biomaterials 1992, Vol.13 (2), p.123-128
• Main Authors: Malik, M.A., Puleo, D.A., Bizios, R., Doremus, R.H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: alumina; Aluminum Oxide; Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Biological and medical sciences; bone; Bone and Bones; Cells, Cultured; Culture Techniques; hydroxyapatite; Hydroxyapatites; Materials Testing; Medical sciences; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Osteoblasts; Osteoblasts - ultrastructure; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Rats; Surface Properties; Technology. Biomaterials. Equipments. Material. Instrumentation
• ISSN: 0142-9612; 1878-5905
• DOI: 10.1016/0142-9612(92)90008-C

The morphological responses of individual osteoblasts as they attached and spread on hydroxy-apatite, bovine bone, alumina with rough and polished surfaces, and tissue culture polystyrene in vitro were examined with scanning electron microscopy. Depending on the surface tested two different morphological sequences were observed during 2 h of adhesion. On alumina, both rough and smooth, bone, and tissue culture polystyrene the cells were round after 0.5 h, and spread radially during the next 1.5 h until they were almost flat, with a nuclear bulge. On hydroxyapatite, however, the cells were flat and circular at 0.5 h, and the edge of the cytoplasm was hardly discernable. This morphology did not change much during the subsequent 1.5 h. The observed cellular morphological response may be related to the bioreactivity of hydroxyapatite.