Effect of micro/nanoscaled Ti phosphate/Ti oxide hybrid coating on the osseointegration of Ti implants.

Objectives: This study was performed to fabricate a bionic coating with titanium (Ti) phosphate to promote the osseointegration of Ti substrate implants.

Methods: Phosphorylated micro/nanocoating was prepared on the surface of pure titanium (i.e., TiP-Ti) by hydrothermal process under special pressure, and the untreated smooth pure titanium (cp-Ti) was selected as the control. To evaluate the characteristics of the coating surface, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and contact-angle measurement were performed. In addition, the effects of TiP-Ti on the proliferation, adhesion, and differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were investigated by using in vitro cytology. Finally, TiP-Ti implants were implanted into the rat tibia, and the effect of TiP-Ti on the osseointegration in the host was evaluated after 12 weeks.

Results: The TiP-Ti surface presented a bionic structure with coexisting nanoscale 3D spatial structure and microscale pores. In vitro experiments showed that the BMSCs had enhanced adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation on the TiP-Ti surface. Furthermore, in vivo, TiP-Ti showed considerably stronger osseointegration compared with pure titanium, and the ultimate shear strength and maximum pushing force were significantly improved.

Conclusions: A bionic structure with TiP-Ti micro/nanoscale coating was successfully fabricated, indicating a promising method for modifying the surface of implants.