Characterization of Titanium Surface Modification Strategies for Osseointegration Enhancement

Electrophoretically deposited titanium and its alloys in biomedical engineering: Recent progress and remaining challenges

Over the past decade, titanium implants have gained popularity as the number of performed implantation operations has significantly increased. There are a number of methods for modifying the surface of biomaterials, which are aimed at extending the life of titanium implants. The developments in this field in recent years have required a comprehensive discussion of all the properties of electrophoretically deposited coatings on titanium and its alloys, taking into account their bioactivity. The development that took place in this field in recent years required a comprehensive discussion of all the properties of coatings electrophoretically deposited on titanium and its alloys, with particular emphasis on their bioactivity. Herein, we attempt to assess the influence of the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process parameters on these coatings' biological and mechanical properties. Particular attention has been addressed to the in-vitro and in-vivo studies conducted hitherto. We have seen an increased interest in using titanium alloys without the addition of toxic compounds and gaps in the EPD field such as the uncommon endeavors to develop a "Design of experiments" approach as well as the lack of assessment of the surface free energy and detailed topography of electrophoretically deposited coatings. The exact correlation of coating properties with EPD process parameters still seems explicitly not understood, necessitating more future investigations. Ipso facto, the exact mechanism of particle agglomeration and Hamaker's law need to be fathomable.

Micro-arc oxidation (MAO) and its potential for improving the performance of titanium implants in biomedical applications

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys have good biocompatibility, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, making them attractive for biomedical applications. However, their biological inertness and lack of antimicrobial properties may compromise the success of implants. In this review, the potential of micro-arc oxidation (MAO) technology to create bioactive coatings on Ti implants is discussed. The review covers the following aspects: 1) different factors, such as electrolyte, voltage and current, affect the properties of MAO coatings; 2) MAO coatings affect biocompatibility, including cytocompatibility, hemocompatibility, angiogenic activity, corrosion resistance, osteogenic activity and osseointegration; 3) antibacterial properties can be achieved by adding copper (Cu), silver (Ag), zinc (Zn) and other elements to achieve antimicrobial properties; and 4) MAO can be combined with other physical and chemical techniques to enhance the performance of MAO coatings. It is concluded that MAO coatings offer new opportunities for improving the use of Ti and its alloys in biomedical applications, and some suggestions for future research are provided.

Surface characterization, electrochemical properties and in vitro biological properties of Zn-deposited TiO2 nanotube surfaces

In this work, to improve antibacterial, biocompatible and bioactive properties of commercial pure titanium (cp-Ti) for implant applications, the Zn-deposited nanotube surfaces were fabricated on cp-Ti by using combined anodic oxidation (AO) and physical vapor deposition (PVD-TE) methods. Homogenous elemental distributions were observed through all surfaces. Moreover, Zn-deposited surfaces exhibited hydrophobic character while bare Ti surfaces were hydrophilic. Due to the biodegradable behavior of Zn on the nanotube surface, Zn-deposited nanotube surfaces showed higher corrosion current density than bare cp-Ti surface in SBF conditions as expected. In vitro biological properties such as cell viability, ALP activity, protein adsorption, hemolytic activity and antibacterial activity for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria of all surfaces were investigated in detail. Cell viability, ALP activity and antibacterial properties of Zn-deposited nanotube surfaces were significantly improved with respect to bare cp-Ti. Moreover, hemolytic activity and protein adsorption of Zn-deposited nanotube surfaces were decreased. According to these results; a bioactive, biocompatible and antibacterial Zn-deposited nanotube surfaces produced on cp-Ti by using combined AO and PVD techniques can have potential for orthopedic and dental implant applications.

Why Is Tantalum Less Susceptible to Bacterial Infection?

Periprosthetic infection is one of the trickiest clinical problems, which often leads to disastrous consequences. The emergence of tantalum and its derivatives provides novel ideas and effective methods to solve this problem and has attracted great attention. However, tantalum was reported to have different anti-infective effects in vivo and in vitro, and the inherent antibacterial capability of tantalum is still controversial, which may restrict its development as an antibacterial material to some extent. In this study, the polished tantalum was selected as the experimental object, the implant-related tibia osteomyelitis model was first established to observe whether it has an anti-infective effect in vivo compared to titanium, and the early studies found that the tantalum had a lower infectious state in the implant-related tibia osteomyelitis model in vivo than titanium. However, further in vitro studies found that the polished tantalum was not superior to the titanium against bacterial adhesion and antibacterial efficacy. In addition, we focus on the state of interaction between cells, bacteria and materials to restore the internal environment as realistically as possible. We found that the adhesion of fibroblasts to tantalum was faster and better than that of titanium. Moreover, what is more, interesting is that, in the early period, bacteria were more likely to adhere to cells that had already attached to the surface of tantalum than to the bare surface of it, and over time, the cells eventually fell off the biomaterials and took away more bacteria in tantalum, making it possible for tantalum to reduce the probability of infection in the body through this mechanism. Moreover, these results also explained the phenomenon of the "race for the surface" from a completely different perspective. This study provides a new idea for further exploring the relationship between bacteria and host tissue cells on the implant surface and a meaningful clue for optimizing the preparation of antibacterial implants in the future.

Improvement of osseointegration efficacy of titanium implant through plasma surface treatment

A novel plasma treatment source for generating cylindrical plasma on the surface of titanium dental implants is developed herein. Using the titanium implant as an electrode and the packaging wall as a dielectric barrier, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma was generated, allowing the implant to remain sterile. Numerical and experimental investigations were conducted to determine the optimal discharge conditions for eliminating hydrocarbon impurities, which are known to degrade the bioactivity of the implant. XPS measurement confirmed that plasma treatment reduced the amount of carbon impurities on the implant surface by approximately 60%. Additionally, in vitro experiments demonstrated that the surface treatment significantly improved cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Collectively, we proposed a plasma treatment source for dental implants that successfully removes carbon impurities and facilitate the osseointegration of SLA implants.

Single-Point Incremental Forming of Titanium and Titanium Alloy Sheets

Incremental sheet forming of titanium and its alloys has a significant role in modern manufacturing techniques because it allows for the production of high-quality products with complex shapes at low production costs. Stamping processes are a major contributor to plastic working techniques in industries such as automotive, aerospace and medicine. This article reviews the development of the single-point incremental forming (SPIF) technique in titanium and its alloys. Problems of a tribological and microstructural nature that make it difficult to obtain components with the desired geometric and shape accuracy are discussed. Great emphasis is placed on current trends in SPIF of difficult-to-form α-, α + β- and β-type titanium alloys. Potential uses of SPIF for forming products in various industries are also indicated, with a particular focus on medical applications. The conclusions of the review provide a structured guideline for scientists and practitioners working on incremental forming of titanium and titanium alloy sheets. One of the ways to increase the formability and minimize the springback of titanium alloys is to treat them at elevated temperatures. The main approaches developed for introducing temperature into a workpiece are friction heating, electrical heating and laser heating. The selection of an appropriate lubricant is a key aspect of the forming process of titanium and its alloys, which exhibit unfavorable tribological properties such as high adhesion and a tendency to adhesive wear. A review of the literature showed that there are insufficient investigations into the synergistic effect of rotational speed and tool rotation direction on the surface roughness of workpieces.

Nano-Topographical Control of Ti-Nb-Zr Alloy Surfaces for Enhanced Osteoblastic Response

Nano-scale surface roughening of metallic bio-implants plays an important role in the clinical success of hard tissue reconstruction and replacement. In this study, the nano-topographical features of titanium-niobium-zirconium (TNZ) alloy surfaces were controlled by using the target-ion induced plasma sputtering (TIPS) technique to improve the in vitro osteoblastic response. The TIPS technique is a novel strategy for etching the surface of metallic bio-implants using bombardment of target metal cations, which were accelerated by an extremely high negative bias voltage applied to the substrates. The nano-topography of the TNZ surfaces was successfully controlled by modulating experimental variables (such as the ion etching energy and the type of substrate or target materials) of TIPS. As a result, various nanopatterns (size: 10–210 nm) were fabricated on the surface of the TNZ alloys. Compared with the control group, experimental groups with nanopattern widths of ≥130 nm (130 and 210 nm groups) exhibited superior cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Our findings demonstrate that TIPS is a promising technology that can impart excellent biological functions to the surface of metallic bio-implants.