Acid etching does not improve CoCrMo implant osseointegration in a canine implant model

Microstructure enhanced biocompatibility in laser additively manufactured CoCrMo biomedical alloy

The present work investigated biocompatibility of the unique nanostructural surface morphology inherently evolved in laser-based additively manufactured CoCrMo after biocorrosion in simulated body fluid at physiological temperature (37 °C). The extremely rapid thermokinetics intrinsically associated with the laser-based additive manufacturing technique resulted in heterogeneous cellular dendritic solidification morphologies with selective elemental segregation along the cell boundaries within CoCrMo samples. Consequently, a selective and spatially varying electrochemical response resulted in generation of a nanoscale surface morphology (crests and troughs) due to differential localized electrochemical etching. Also, depth of the trough regions was a function of the applied potential difference during potentiodynamic polarization which resulted in samples with varying morphological ratio (depth of trough/width of cell wall). CoCrMo with such nanoscale surface undulations were proposed for enhanced biocompatibility in terms of viability, spreading, and integration of MT3C3 pre-osteoblasts cells elucidated via MTT assay, immunofluorescence, and microscopy techniques. Furthermore, the influence of the morphological ratio, characteristic to the additively deposited CoCrMo after electrochemical etching (biocorrosion) on biocompatibility of MT3C3 pre-osteoblasts cells was qualitatively and quantitatively compared to a mirror-polished flat CoCrMo surface.

Mesenchymal stem cell response to topographically modified CoCrMo

Surface roughness on implant materials has been shown to be highly influential on the behavior of osteogenic cells. Four surface topographies were engineered on cobalt chromium molybdenum (CoCrMo) in order to examine this influence on human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). These treatments were smooth polished (SMO), acid etched (AE) using HCl 7.4% and H₂SO₄ 76% followed by HNO₃ 30%, sand blasted, and acid etched using either 50 μm Al₂O₃ (SLA50) or 250 μm Al₂O₃ grit (SLA250). Characterization of the surfaces included energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX), contact angle, and surface roughness analysis. Human MSCs were cultured onto the four CoCrMo substrates and markers of cell attachment, retention, proliferation, cytotoxicity, and osteogenic differentiation were studied. Residual aluminum was observed on both SLA surfaces although this appeared to be more widely spread on SLA50, whilst SLA250 was shown to have the roughest topography with an R_a value greater than 1 μm. All substrates were shown to be largely non‐cytotoxic although both SLA surfaces were shown to reduce cell attachment, whilst SLA50 also delayed cell proliferation. In contrast, SLA250 stimulated a good rate of proliferation resulting in the largest cell population by day 21. In addition, SLA250 stimulated enhanced cell retention, calcium deposition, and hydroxyapatite formation compared to SMO (p < 0.05). The enhanced response stimulated by SLA250 surface modification may prove advantageous for increasing the bioactivity of implants formed of CoCrMo. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 3747–3756, 2015.

Correlation between molecular signals and bone bonding to titanium implants

OBJECTIVES

A better understanding of the biological processes controlling osseointegration at the bone-to-implant interface is needed. The aim of this study was to examine which are the molecular and biochemical variables that are significantly related to osseointegration, using multiple regression analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Titanium coins were placed into the tibial cortical bone of New Zealand White rabbits and evaluated using pull-out test after 4 and 8 weeks of healing. Correlations between pull-out and several markers from tissue fluid (Lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] and Alkaline phosphatase [ALP] activities and total protein content) and peri-implant bone tissue (total protein, RNA and DNA content, implant area covered with bone and gene expression of osteoblast, osteoclast and inflammation markers) were used to assess the importance of these parameters in bone healing and in relation to implant performance.

RESULTS

Our results showed a negative correlation between the content of DNA, RNA and total protein at the peri-implant bone tissue and the pull-out force, indicating that as bone matures and implant becomes more osseointegrated, the organic content of bone decreases. The negative correlation found between pull-out force and ALP activity pointed to a delayed healing in implants with lower pull-out values and primary mineralization still ongoing. LDH activity and total protein content in the tissue fluid were as well negatively correlated with the pull-out force. Finally, a positive correlation was observed between the pull-out force and the expression of the osteoblast and the bone resorption markers, being osteocalcin and collagen-I the best predictive markers for osseointegration after 4 and 8 weeks of healing respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the evaluation of these markers could be relevant for the assessment of new implant surfaces for rapid bone healing and improved implant performance.