Development of new metallic alloys for biomedical applications

Synthesis of α-amino acidato derivatives of niobium and tantalum pentahalides and their conversion into iminium salts

Dinuclear complexes of formula Nb2Cl9[O2CCH(R)NR'R″2-κO,κO] (R = CH2CHMe2, R' = R″ = H, 1a; R = CH2Ph, R' = R″ = H, 1b; R = CH2CH2SCH3, R' = R″ = H, 1c; R = R' = H, R″ = Me, 1d; R = CH2Ph, R' = R″ = Me, 1e; Nb2Cl9[O2C⌈CH(CH2)3NH⌉], 1f) were prepared by allowing NbCl5 to react in dichloromethane with the appropriate α-amino acid in 1:2 amino acid/Nb molar ratio. The 1:1 reactions between MX5 (M = Nb, Ta; X = Cl, Br) and a series of α-amino acids resulted in the formation of the iminium salts [(R)CH═NR'R″2][MX6] (R = CH2Ph, R' = R″ = Me: M = Nb, X = Cl, 2a; M = Nb, X = Br, 2b; M = Ta, X = Cl, 2c; M = Ta, X = Br, 2d; R = CH2Ph, R' = R″ = H, M = Nb: X = Cl, 3a; X = Br, 3b; R = CH2CHMe2, R' = R″ = H, M = Nb, X = Cl, 4; R = R' = H, R″ = Me, M = Nb, X = Cl, 5). The formate/amino acidate derivative NbCl3(O2CH)[O2CCH(CH2Ph)NMe2], 6, was isolated and identified as coproduct of the 1:1 reaction between NbCl5 and N,N-dimethyl-l-phenylalanine, leading to 2a. All of the compounds were characterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods and by X-ray diffractometry in the cases of 2a, 2b, and 2d. Moreover, density functional theory studies were carried out to shed light on mechanistic and structural aspects.

Mechanical and physicochemical characterization along with biological interactions of a new Ti25Nb21Hf alloy for bone tissue engineering

Nowadays, one of the main challenges in metal implants for bone substitution is the achievement of an elastic modulus close to that of human cortical bone as well as to provide an adequate interaction with the surrounding tissue avoiding in vivo foreign body reaction. From this perspective, a new Ti-based alloy has been developed with Nb and Hf as alloying elements which are known as non-toxic and with good corrosion properties. The microstructure, mechanical behaviour and the physicochemical properties of this novel titanium alloy have been studied. Relationship of surface chemistry and surface electric charge with protein adsorption and cell adhesion has been evaluated due to its role for understanding the mechanism of biological interactions with tissues. The Ti25Nb21Hf alloy presented a lower elastic modulus than commercial alloys with a superior ultimate strength and yield strength than CP-Ti and very close to Ti6Al4V. It also exhibited good corrosion resistance. Furthermore, the results revealed that it had no cytotoxic effect on rat mesenchymal stem cells and allowed protein adsorption and cell adhesion. The experimental results make this alloy a promising material for bone substitution or for biomedical devices.

Osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells in mineralized alginate matrices

Mineralized biomaterials are promising for use in bone tissue engineering. Culturing osteogenic cells in such materials will potentially generate biological bone grafts that may even further augment bone healing. Here, we studied osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in an alginate hydrogel system where the cells were co-immobilized with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) for gradual mineralization of the microenvironment. MSC were embedded in unmodified alginate beads and alginate beads mineralized with ALP to generate a polymer/hydroxyapatite scaffold mimicking the composition of bone. The initial scaffold mineralization induced further mineralization of the beads with nanosized particles, and scanning electron micrographs demonstrated presence of collagen in the mineralized and unmineralized alginate beads cultured in osteogenic medium. Cells in both types of beads sustained high viability and metabolic activity for the duration of the study (21 days) as evaluated by live/dead staining and alamar blue assay. MSC in beads induced to differentiate in osteogenic direction expressed higher mRNA levels of osteoblast-specific genes (RUNX2, COL1AI, SP7, BGLAP) than MSC in traditional cell cultures. Furthermore, cells differentiated in beads expressed both sclerostin (SOST) and dental matrix protein-1 (DMP1), markers for late osteoblasts/osteocytes. In conclusion, Both ALP-modified and unmodified alginate beads provide an environment that enhance osteogenic differentiation compared with traditional 2D culture. Also, the ALP-modified alginate beads showed profound mineralization and thus have the potential to serve as a bone substitute in tissue engineering.

Additively manufactured porous tantalum implants

The medical device industry's interest in open porous, metallic biomaterials has increased in response to additive manufacturing techniques enabling the production of complex shapes that cannot be produced with conventional techniques. Tantalum is an important metal for medical devices because of its good biocompatibility. In this study selective laser melting technology was used for the first time to manufacture highly porous pure tantalum implants with fully interconnected open pores. The architecture of the porous structure in combination with the material properties of tantalum result in mechanical properties close to those of human bone and allow for bone ingrowth. The bone regeneration performance of the porous tantalum was evaluated in vivo using an orthotopic load-bearing bone defect model in the rat femur. After 12 weeks, substantial bone ingrowth, good quality of the regenerated bone and a strong, functional implant-bone interface connection were observed. Compared to identical porous Ti-6Al-4V structures, laser-melted tantalum shows excellent osteoconductive properties, has a higher normalized fatigue strength and allows for more plastic deformation due to its high ductility. It is therefore concluded that this is a first step towards a new generation of open porous tantalum implants manufactured using selective laser melting.

Enhanced osteointegration on tantalum-implanted polyetheretherketone surface with bone-like elastic modulus

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) possesses a similar elastic modulus as bones but yet suffers from bio-inertness and poor osteogenesis. In this work, tantalum ions are implanted energetically into PEEK by plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) to form Ta2O5 nanoparticles in the near surface. Nanoindentation reveals that the surface elastic modulus of the Ta ion implanted PEEK is closer to that of human cortical bones. In vitro cell adhesion, alkaline phosphatase activity, collagen secretion, extracellular matrix mineralization, and real-time PCR analyses disclose enhanced adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (bMSCs) on the Ta-PIII modified PEEK. In vivo evaluation of the cortico-cancellous rat femur model by means of micro-CT, sequential fluorescent labeling, and histological analysis after 8 weeks confirms significantly improved osteointegration. The bone-like elastic modulus and modified surface topography of the Ta-PIII modified PEEK synergistically induce osteogenic differentiation of bMSCs and the surface-modified materials have large potential in dental and orthopedic implants.

Superelasticity, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of the Ti-19Zr-10Nb-1Fe alloy

Microstructure, mechanical properties, superelasticity and biocompatibility of a Ti-19Zr-10Nb-1Fe alloy are investigated. X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations show that the as-cast Ti-19Zr-10Nb-1Fe alloy is composed of α' and β phases, but only the β phase exists in the as-rolled and as-quenched alloys. The tensile stress-strain tests indicate that the as-quenched alloy exhibits a good combination of mechanical properties with a large elongation of 25%, a low Young's modulus of 59 GPa and a high ultimate tensile stress of 723 MPa. Superelastic recovery behavior is found in the as-quenched alloy during tensile tests, and the corresponding maximum of superelastic strain is 4.7% at the pre-strain of 6%. A superelastic recovery of 4% with high stability is achieved after 10 cyclic loading-unloading training processes. Potentiodynamic polarization and ion release measurements indicate that the as-quenched alloy shows a lower corrosion rate in Hank's solution and a much less ion release rate in 0.9% NaCl solution than those of the NiTi alloys. Cell culture results indicate that the osteoblasts' adhesion and proliferation are similar on both the Ti-19Zr-10Nb-1Fe and NiTi alloys. A better hemocompatibility is confirmed for the as-quenched Ti-19Zr-10Nb-1Fe alloy, attributed to more stable platelet adhesion and small activation degree, and a much lower hemolysis rate compared with the NiTi alloy.

Surface modification of titanium substrate with a novel covalently-bound copolymer thin film for improving its platelet compatibility

Despite of its widely uses in various clinical applications, the titanium-based material still faces different challenges, such as hemocompatibility and anti-biofouling characteristics required in various situations. The objective of this investigation was to develop a novel surface modification strategy for titanium-based material to improve the platelet compatibility that is important in rigorous blood-contacting cardiovascular applications. In this work, a series of copolymers, which composed of novel 6-acryloyloxy hexyl phosphonic acid (AcrHPA) and sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) was synthesized. The phosphonic acid group in these copolymers can impart covalent binding to the titanium substrate while the zwitterionic sulfobetaine functionality is considered being able to reduce the platelet adhesion and activation on the modified titanium substrate. NMR analyses suggested that copolymerization reaction is likely not an ideal statistical reaction but to add the monomers in a random order. Studies have shown that the composition of the monomers affected the surface characteristics and platelet compatibility of these covalent-bound AcrHPA-SBMA copolymers on titanium substrate. Contact angle analysis has shown the addition of SBMA can increase surface hydrophilicity of the spun-coated copolymers. In addition, AFM analyses have revealed that the surface roughness of the spun-coated copolymer layer were varied with the ratio of AcrHPA and SBMA. The most platelet compatible surface was noted on the one modified by the highest amount of SBMA added (i.e. 70 mol%) in copolymerization. In summary, the surface modification scheme presented here would be of potential as well as manufacturing process applicable for future development in blood-contacting titanium-based biomedical devices.

Aluminum-free low-modulus Ti-C composites that exhibit reduced image artifacts during MRI

Feasibility studies were performed to determine the suitability of a novel synthesis technique for fabricating multifunctional composite materials for orthopedic implants. By blending paramagnetic Ti powder with diamagnetic graphite and consolidating the resulting mixtures, Ti-C composites that cannot be feasibly obtained via conventional alloying techniques or ingot metallurgy were synthesized. The synthesized composite material exhibited extremely low magnetic susceptibility (χ=67.6×10(-6)), and, as a result, exhibited fewer artifacts during magnetic resonance imaging. The strength of the composite material (σ=770MPa) was such that it could support external loads to which the human body is subjected, but its Young's modulus was low (E=81.9 GPa) such that it could mitigate the stress-shielding effect. The material was also free from toxic elements such as Al and V and, thus, can be considered less harmful.

Hydroxyapatite coatings with oriented nanoplate arrays: synthesis, formation mechanism and cytocompatibility

A novel strategy has been developed to fabricate hydroxyapatite coatings with oriented nanoplate arrays for implants of human hard tissues.

Microstructure, mechanical properties and superelasticity of biomedical porous NiTi alloy prepared by microwave sintering

Porous NiTi alloys were prepared by microwave sintering using ammonium hydrogen carbonate (NH4HCO3) as the space holder agent to adjust the porosity in the range of 22-62%. The effects of porosities on the microstructure, hardness, compressive strength, bending strength, elastic modulus, phase transformation temperature and superelasticity of the porous NiTi alloys were investigated. The results showed that the porosities and average pore sizes of the porous NiTi alloys increased with increasing the contents of NH4HCO3. The porous NiTi alloys consisted of nearly single NiTi phase, with a very small amount of two secondary phases (Ni3Ti, NiTi2) when the porosities are lower than 50%. The amount of Ni3Ti and NiTi2 phases increased with further increasing of the porosity proportion. The porosities had few effects on the phase transformation temperatures of the porous NiTi alloys. By increasing the porosities, all of the hardness, compressive strength, elastic modulus, bending strength and superelasticity of the porous NiTi alloys decreased. However, the compressive strength and bending strength were higher or close to those of natural bone and the elastic modulus was close to the natural bone. The superelastic recovery strain of the trained porous NiTi alloys could reach between 3.1 and 4.7% at the pre-strain of 5%, even if the porosity was up to 62%. Moreover, partial shape memory effect was observed for all porosity levels under the experiment conditions. Therefore, the microwave sintered porous NiTi alloys could be a promising candidate for bone implant.

Nanostructured Ti-Zr-Pd-Si-(Nb) bulk metallic composites: Novel biocompatible materials with superior mechanical strength and elastic recovery

The microstructure, mechanical behaviour, and biocompatibility (cell culture, morphology, and cell adhesion) of nanostructured Ti45 Zr15 Pd35- x Si5 Nbx with x = 0, 5 (at. %) alloys, synthesized by arc melting and subsequent Cu mould suction casting, in the form of rods with 3 mm in diameter, are investigated. Both Ti-Zr-Pd-Si-(Nb) materials show a multi-phase (composite-like) microstructure. The main phase is cubic β-Ti phase (Im3m) but hexagonal α-Ti (P63/mmc), cubic TiPd (Pm3m), cubic PdZr (Fm3m), and hexagonal (Ti, Zr)5 Si3 (P63/mmc) phases are also present. Nanoindentation experiments show that the Ti45 Zr15 Pd30 Si5 Nb5 sample exhibits lower Young's modulus than Ti45 Zr15 Pd35 Si5 . Conversely, Ti45 Zr15 Pd35 Si5 is mechanically harder. Actually, both alloys exhibit larger values of hardness when compared with commercial Ti-40Nb, (HTi-Zr-Pd-Si ≈ 14 GPa, HTi-Zr-Pd-Si-Nb ≈ 10 GPa and HTi-40Nb ≈ 2.7 GPa). Concerning the biological behaviour, preliminary results of cell viability performed on several Ti-Zr-Pd-Si-(Nb) discs indicate that the number of live cells is superior to 94% in both cases. The studied Ti-Zr-Pd-Si-(Nb) bulk metallic system is thus interesting for biomedical applications because of the outstanding mechanical properties (relatively low Young's modulus combined with large hardness), together with the excellent biocompatibility.

Corrosion-controlling and osteo-compatible Mg ion-integrated phytic acid (Mg-PA) coating on magnesium substrate for biodegradable implants application

Biodegradable, a new revolutionary concept, is shaping the future design of biomedical implants that need to serve only as a temporary scaffold. Magnesium appears to be the most promising biodegradable metal, but challenges remain in its corrosion-controlling and uncertain biocompatibility. In this work, we employ chemical conversion and alternating dip-coating methods to anchor and deposit an Mg ion-integrated phytic acid (Mg-PA) coating on Mg, which is supposed to function both corrosion-controlling and osteo-compatible. It was ascertained that PA molecules were covalently immobilized on a chemically converted Mg(OH)2 base layer, and more PA molecules were deposited subsequently via chelating reactions with the help of additive Mg ions. The covalent immobilization and the Mg ion-supported chelating deposition contribute to a dense and homogeneous protective Mg-PA coating, which guarantees an improved corrosion resistance as well as a reduced degradation rate. Moreover, the Mg-PA coating performed osteo-compatible to promote not only bioactivity of bonelike apatite precipitation, but also induced osteoblast cells adhesion and proliferation. This is ascribed to its nature of PA molecule and the biocompatible Mg ion, both of which mimic partly the compositional structure of bone. Our magnesium ion-integrated PA-coated Mg might bode well for the future of biodegradable bone implant application.

Latham J, G. Dunlop D, Oreffo RO. Bone and metal: an orthopaedic perspective on osseointegration of metals

The area of implant osseointegration is of major importance, given the predicted significant rise in the number of orthopaedic procedures and an increasingly ageing population. Osseointegration is a complex process involving a number of distinct mechanisms affected by the implant bulk properties and surface characteristics. Our understanding and ability to modify these mechanisms through alterations in implant design is continuously expanding. The following review considers the main aspects of material and surface alterations in metal implants, and the extent of their subsequent influence on osseointegration. Clinically, osseointegration results in asymptomatic stable durable fixation of orthopaedic implants. The complexity of achieving this outcome through incorporation and balance of contributory factors is highlighted through a clinical case report.

Vascular gene transfer from metallic stent surfaces using adenoviral vectors tethered through hydrolysable cross-linkers

In-stent restenosis presents a major complication of stent-based revascularization procedures widely used to re-establish blood flow through critically narrowed segments of coronary and peripheral arteries. Endovascular stents capable of tunable release of genes with anti-restenotic activity may present an alternative strategy to presently used drug-eluting stents. In order to attain clinical translation, gene-eluting stents must exhibit predictable kinetics of stent-immobilized gene vector release and site-specific transduction of vasculature, while avoiding an excessive inflammatory response typically associated with the polymer coatings used for physical entrapment of the vector. This paper describes a detailed methodology for coatless tethering of adenoviral gene vectors to stents based on a reversible binding of the adenoviral particles to polyallylamine bisphosphonate (PABT)-modified stainless steel surface via hydrolysable cross-linkers (HC). A family of bifunctional (amine- and thiol-reactive) HC with an average t1/2 of the in-chain ester hydrolysis ranging between 5 and 50 days were used to link the vector with the stent. The vector immobilization procedure is typically carried out within 9 hr and consists of several steps: 1) incubation of the metal samples in an aqueous solution of PABT (4 hr); 2) deprotection of thiol groups installed in PABT with tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine (20 min); 3) expansion of thiol reactive capacity of the metal surface by reacting the samples with polyethyleneimine derivatized with pyridyldithio (PDT) groups (2 hr); 4) conversion of PDT groups to thiols with dithiothreitol (10 min); 5) modification of adenoviruses with HC (1 hr); 6) purification of modified adenoviral particles by size-exclusion column chromatography (15 min) and 7) immobilization of thiol-reactive adenoviral particles on the thiolated steel surface (1 hr). This technique has wide potential applicability beyond stents, by facilitating surface engineering of bioprosthetic devices to enhance their biocompatibility through the substrate-mediated gene delivery to the cells interfacing the implanted foreign material.

Potential release of in vivo trace metals from metallic medical implants in the human body: from ions to nanoparticles--a systematic analytical review

Metal ion release from metallic materials, e.g. metallic alloys and pure metals, implanted into the human body in dental and orthopedic surgery is becoming a major cause for concern. This review briefly provides an overview of both metallic alloys and pure metals used in implant materials in dental and orthopedic surgery. Additionally, a short section is dedicated to important biomaterials and their corrosive behavior in both real solutions and various types of media that model human biological fluids and tissues. The present review gives an overview of analytical methods, techniques and different approaches applied to the measurement of in vivo trace metals released into body fluids and tissues from patients carrying metal-on-metal prostheses and metal dental implants. Reference levels of ion concentrations in body fluids and tissues that have been determined by a host of studies are compiled, reviewed and presented in this paper. Finally, a collection of published clinical data on in vivo released trace metals from metallic medical implants is included.

Biomedical Polymer Surface Modification of Beta-Type Titanium Alloy for Implants through Anodic Oxide Nanostructures

Anodic oxide nanostructures (nanopores and nanotubes) were formed on a biomedical β-type titanium alloy, Ti–29Nb–13Ta–4.6Zr alloy (TNTZ), in order to improve adhesive strength by the anchor effect of a segmented polyurethane (SPU) with soft tissue compatibility. The nanotube structure was formed beneath the nanoporous structure. The adhesive strength between the SPU coating and the nanoporous structure formed on TNTZ by anodization is more than 1.5 times that of an SPU coating on as-polished TNTZ with a mirror finish. After removal of the nanoporous structure by etching with HF solution, the adhesive strength of the SPU coating on the exposed nanotube structure is decreased.

Cytotoxic, hematologic and histologic effects of niobium pentoxide in Swiss mice

The use of metal devices in medical application is increasing but it remains incompletely understood the physiological effects of component degradation. Niobium (Nb) alloys have already been investigated in the 1980's and recent studies demonstrated the potential of Nb as an implant material. The purpose of this study was to determine cytotoxic, hematologic and histologic effects of niobium in Swiss mice. Animals were treated with a single dose of 3 % niobium oxide (Nb2O5) diluted in PBS, i.p. Cytotoxic assay, hematologic and histologic evaluation were done 3, 7 and 12 days after niobium treatment. Data have shown increased number of cells after niobium treatment, but there was no difference in cell viability. Furthermore, it was not observed hematological modification 3, 7 or 12 days after niobium treatment. Despite the fact that animals treated with niobium for 3 and 7 days showed mild degeneration in hepatocytes, mice kept alive for 12 days showed liver cells regeneration. Our results suggested that niobium cytotoxicity was not progressive because 12 days after treatment there was an evident liver regeneration. Data obtained indicated that niobium may be promising alternatives to biomedical applications.

New Developments of Ti-Based Alloys for Biomedical Applications

Ti-based alloys are finding ever-increasing applications in biomaterials due to their excellent mechanical, physical and biological performance. Nowdays, low modulus β-type Ti-based alloys are still being developed. Meanwhile, porous Ti-based alloys are being developed as an alternative orthopedic implant material, as they can provide good biological fixation through bone tissue ingrowth into the porous network. This paper focuses on recent developments of biomedical Ti-based alloys. It can be divided into four main sections. The first section focuses on the fundamental requirements titanium biomaterial should fulfill and its market and application prospects. This section is followed by discussing basic phases, alloying elements and mechanical properties of low modulus β-type Ti-based alloys. Thermal treatment, grain size, texture and properties in Ti-based alloys and their limitations are dicussed in the third section. Finally, the fourth section reviews the influence of microstructural configurations on mechanical properties of porous Ti-based alloys and all known methods for fabricating porous Ti-based alloys. This section also reviews prospects and challenges of porous Ti-based alloys, emphasizing their current status, future opportunities and obstacles for expanded applications. Overall, efforts have been made to reveal the latest scenario of bulk and porous Ti-based materials for biomedical applications.

Bacterial and osteoblast behavior on titanium, cobalt-chromium alloy and stainless steel treated with alkali and heat: a comparative study for potential orthopedic applications

HYPOTHESIS

Anatase-modified titanium (Ti) substrates have been found to possess antibacterial properties in the absence of ultraviolet irradiation, but the mechanism is not known. We hypothesize that this is due to the bactericidal effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the surface anatase.

EXPERIMENTS

Alkali and heat treatment was used to form anatase on Ti surface. The generation of ROS, and the behavior of bacteria and osteoblasts on the anatase-modified Ti were investigated. Cobalt-chrome (Co-Cr) alloys and stainless steel (SS) were similarly treated with alkali and heat, and their surface properties and effects on bacteria and osteoblasts were compared with the results obtained with Ti.

FINDINGS

The anatase-functionalized Ti substrates demonstrated significant bactericidal effects and promoted apoptosis in osteoblasts, likely a result of ROS generated by the anatase. The alkali and heat-treated Co-Cr and SS substrates also reduced bacterial adhesion but were not bactericidal. This effect is likely due to an increase in hydrophilicity of the surfaces, and no significant ROS were generated by the alkali and heat-treated Co-Cr and SS substrates. The treated Co-Cr and SS substrates did not induce significant apoptosis in osteoblasts, and thus with these properties, they may be promising for orthopedic applications.

Corrosion resistance and in vitro response of a novel Ti35Nb2Ta3Zr alloy with a low Young's modulus

β type titanium alloys have attracted much attention in the biomedical field because they consist of non-cytotoxic elements, show high corrosion resistance, and are biologically compatible. In this study, a novel β type titanium alloy (Ti35Nb3Zr2Ta) with a Young's modulus of 48 GPa was fabricated and the alloy's corrosion resistance and in vitro response were determined. The results indicate that the novel alloy exhibits comparable corrosion resistance when compared with Ti6Al4V, but in vitro experiments show that osteoblasts attach, spread, proliferate, and differentiate better on Ti35Nb2Ta3Zr than on Ti6Al4V. The high corrosion resistance and satisfactory biocompatibility make the novel Ti35Nb3Zr2Ta alloy a promising biomaterial for surgical implants.

Deformation-induced ω phase in modified Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr alloy by Cr addition

For spinal-fixation applications, implants should have a high Young's modulus to reduce springback during operations, though a low Young's modulus is required to prevent stress shielding for patients after surgeries. In the present study, Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr alloy (TNTZ) with a low Young's modulus was modified by adding Cr to obtain a higher deformation-induced Young's modulus in order to satisfy these contradictory requirements. Two newly designed alloys, TNTZ-8Ti-2Cr and TNTZ-16Ti-4Cr, possess more stable β phases than TNTZ. These alloys consist of single β phases and exhibit relatively low Young's moduli of <65GPa after solution treatment. However, after cold rolling, they exhibit higher Young's moduli owing to a deformation-induced ω-phase transformation. These modified TNTZ alloys show significantly less springback than the original TNTZ alloy based on tensile and bending loading-unloading tests. Thus, the Cr-added TNTZ alloys are beneficial for spinal-fixation applications.