Wetting properties of blood lipid fractions on different titanium surfaces

Investigation of the Wetting Properties of Thalassemia Patients' Blood Samples on Grade 5 Titanium Implant Surfaces: A Pilot Study

Background and Objectives: Beta-thalassemia (BT) has a high prevalence in Mediterranean, Southeast Asian, and African countries. Studies stated that thalassemia is an endemic disease that causes significant health problems in Cyprus. This study aimed to measure the contact angle between the implant and blood samples from BT major patients and healthy individuals to compare the contact angles and wettability of Grade 5 titanium implant surfaces. Materials and Methods: Grade 5 titanium discs that were 10 mm in diameter were used since they mimic the surface of dental implants. Following receiving informed consent, blood samples were taken from the patients’ index fingers in each group with lancet needles and a photo of the contact angle between the blood samples and the titanium surface was taken; the collected blood was transferred to a titanium disc with a medical pipette. ImageJ software with a specific contact angle plugin was used for the contact angle measurements. Results: Theta-mean, theta-circular, and theta-ellipse values were compared between all groups, and no significant difference was found (p > 0.05). Conclusions: In this study, it was hypothesized that the patients’ rheological property of decreased deformability would affect the wettability of implant surfaces in vitro; however, no such finding was reached in this study. Since in-depth studies associated with dental implant success in BTM patients are absent in the literature and Cyprus is one of the Mediterranean countries with a high prevalence of BTM, this study was conducted to enrich the literature. While some systemic diseases may affect the contact angle between the implant surface and blood, it can be concluded that this condition was not present for BTM patients in our study. Last but not least, we emphasize that this experiment was done on a single surface type and the results can be totally different when using other surface types.

Development of a Surface-Functionalized Titanium Implant for Promoting Osseointegration: Surface Characteristics, Hemocompatibility, and In Vivo Evaluation

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of surface-modified biomedical titanium (Ti) dental implant on osseointegration. The surfaces were modified using an innovative dip-coating technique (IDCT; sandblasted, large-grit, and acid-etched, then followed by coating with the modified pluronic F127 biodegradable polymer). The surface morphology and hemocompatibility evaluations were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, while the contact analysis was observed by goniometer. The IDCT-modified Ti implant was also implanted in patients with missing teeth by single-stage surgical procedure then observed immediately and again four months after placement by cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) imaging. It was found that the IDCT-modified Ti implant was rougher than the dental implant without surface modification. Contact angle analysis showed the IDCT-modified Ti implant was lower than the dental implant without surface modification. The hemocompatibility evaluations showed greater red blood cell aggregation and fibrin filament formation on the IDCT-modified Ti implant. The radiographic and CBCT image displayed new bone formation at four months after the IDCT-modified Ti implant placement. Therefore, this study suggests that the IDCT-modified Ti dental implant has great potential to accelerate osseointegration.