Surface characterization and biocompatibility of titanium alloys implanted with nitrogen by Hardion+ technology

Comparative Study of Physicochemical Properties and Biocompatibility (L929 and MG63 Cells) of TiN Coatings Obtained by Plasma Nitriding and Thin Film Deposition

Ti6Al4V is one of the most lightweight, mechanically resistant, and appropriate for biologically induced corrosion alloys. However, surface properties often must be tuned for fitting into biomedical applications, and therefore, surface modification is of paramount importance to carry on its use. This work compares the interaction between two different cell lines (L929 fibroblasts and osteoblast-like MG63) and medical grade Ti6Al4V after surface modification by plasma nitriding or thin film deposition. We studied the adhesion of these two cell lines, exploring which trends are consistent for cell behavior, correlating with osseointegration and in vivo conditions. Modified surfaces were analyzed through several physicochemical characterization techniques. Plasma nitriding led to a more pronounced increase in surface roughness, a thicker aluminum-free layer, made up of diverse titanium nitride phases, whereas thin film deposition resulted in a single-phase pure titanium nitride layer that leveled the ridged topography. The selective adhesion of osteoblast-like cells over fibroblasts was observed in nitrided samples but not in thin film deposited films, indicating that the competitive cellular behavior is more pronounced in plasma nitrided surfaces. The obtained coatings presented an appropriate performance for its use in biomedical-aimed applications, including the possibility of a higher success rate in osseointegration of implants.

Electrochemical, Tribological and Biocompatible Performance of Electron Beam Modified and Coated Ti6Al4V Alloy

Vacuum cathodic arc TiN coatings with overlaying TiO₂ film were deposited on polished and surface roughened by electron beam modification (EBM) Ti6Al4V alloy. The substrate microtopography consisted of long grooves formed by the liner scan of the electron beam with appropriate frequencies (500 (AR500) and 850 (AR850) Hz). EBM transformed the α + β Ti6Al4V mixed structure into a single α'-martensite phase. Тhe gradient TiN/TiO₂ films deposited on mechanically polished (AR) and EBM (AR500 and AR850) alloys share the same surface chemistry and composition (almost stoichiometric TiN, anatase and rutile in different ratios) but exhibit different topographies (S_a equal to approximately 0.62, 1.73, and 1.08 μm, respectively) over areas of 50 × 50 μm. Although the nanohardness of the coatings on AR500 and AR850 alloy (approximately 10.45 and 9.02 GPa, respectively) was lower than that measured on the film deposited on AR alloy (about 13.05 GPa), the hybrid surface treatment offered improvement in critical adhesive loads, coefficient of friction, and wear-resistance of the surface. In phosphate buffer saline, all coated samples showed low corrosion potentials and passivation current densities, confirming their good corrosion protection. The coated EBM samples cultured with human osteoblast-like MG63 cells demonstrated increased cell attachment, viability, and bone mineralization activity especially for the AR500-coated alloy, compared to uncoated polished alloy. The results underline the synergetic effect between the sub-micron structure and composition of TiN/TiO₂ coating and microarchitecture obtained by EBM.

Biological Behaviour and Enhanced Anticorrosive Performance of the Nitrided Superelastic Ti-23Nb-0.7Ta-2Zr-0.5N Alloy

The influence of gas nitriding surface treatment on the superelastic Ti-23Nb-0.7Ta-2Zr-0.5N alloy was evaluated. A thorough characterization of bare and nitrided Ti-based alloy and pure Ti was performed in terms of surface film composition and morphology, electrochemical behaviour, and short term osteoblast response. XPS analysis showed that the nitriding treatment strongly influenced the composition (nitrides and oxynitrides) and surface properties both of the substrate and of the bulk alloy. SEM images revealed that the nitrided surface appears as a similar dotted pattern caused by the formation of N-rich domains coexisting with less nitrided domains, while before treatment only topographical features could be observed. All the electrochemical results confirmed the high chemical stability of the nitride and oxynitride coating and the superiority of the applied treatment. The values of the corrosion parameters ascertained the excellent corrosion resistance of the coated alloy in the real functional conditions from the human body. Cell culture experiments with MG63 osteoblasts demonstrated that the studied biomaterials do not elicit any toxic effects and support cell adhesion and enhanced cell proliferation. Altogether, these data indicate that the nitrided Ti-23Nb-0.7Ta-2Zr-0.5N alloy is the most suitable substrate for application in bone implantology.

Titanium-Nitride Coating of Orthopaedic Implants: A Review of the Literature

Surfaces of medical implants can be enhanced with the favorable properties of titanium-nitride (TiN). In a review of English medical literature, the effects of TiN-coating on orthopaedic implant material in preclinical studies were identified and the influence of these effects on the clinical outcome of TiN-coated orthopaedic implants was explored. The TiN-coating has a positive effect on the biocompatibility and tribological properties of implant surfaces; however, there are several reports of third body wear due to delamination, increased ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene wear, and cohesive failure of the TiN-coating. This might be due to the coating process. The TiN-coating process should be optimized and standardized for titanium alloy articulating surfaces. The clinical benefit of TiN-coating of CoCrMo knee implant surfaces should be further investigated.

Effects of the surface characteristics of nanoporous titanium oxide films on Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn alloy on the initial adhesion of osteoblast-like MG-63 cells

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the surface characteristics of nanoporous titanium oxide films, formed by anodization on Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn (Ti2448) alloy, on the early adhesion of osteoblast-like MG-63 cells. Nanoporous titanium oxide films with two different pore sizes (30 and 90 nm) were formed by anodization in NH₄F solution on Ti2448 alloy. The surface roughness of the nanoporous titanium oxide films was determined using a Surftest Formtracer and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Cell viability was evaluated at different time points using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. To investigate the regulatory mechanisms involved in the focal adhesion of osteoblasts to Ti2448 alloy, we quantified the expression levels of integrin β1 and paxillin mRNAs on the nanoporous titanium oxide films during early osteoblast adhesion using real-time RT-PCR. Samples with a 30-nm nanoporous film exhibited a greater number of overlapping microporous structures with microprojections compared with the 90-nm nanoporous film samples. The MTT assay indicated that cell viability on the 30-nm nanoporous surface following 24 and 48 h of cell culture was higher than those observed on the unanodized control and 90-nm nanoporous surfaces. Integrin β1 mRNA expression levels on the 30-nm nanoporous surface following cell culture for 48 h were also significantly higher compared with those on the unanodized control and 90-nm nanoporous surfaces. The results demonstrated that a 30-nm nanoporous titanium oxide film on Ti2448 alloy may provide the optimum bioactive implant surface for the initial adhesion of osteoblasts.