Preparation and analysis of macroporous TiO2 films on Ti surfaces for bone-tissue implants

This article describes the preparation and analysis of macroporous TiO2 films on Ti surfaces, for application in bone tissue-Ti implant interfaces. These TiO2 bioceramic films have a macroporous structure consisting of monodisperse, three-dimensional, spherical, interconnected pores adjustable in the micron size range. Micron-sized polystyrene (PS) bead templates are used to precisely define the pore size, creating macroporous TiO2 films with 0.50, 16, and 50 microm diameter pores, as shown by scanning electron microscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows the films to be predominantly composed of TiO2, with approximately 10% carbon. X-ray diffraction reveal rutile as the main phase when fired to the optimal temperature of 950 degrees C. Preliminary experiments find that the in vitro proliferation of human bone-derived cells (HBDC) is similar on all three pore sizes. However, higher [3H]thymidine incorporation by the HBDC is observed when they are grown on 0.50- and 16-microm pores compared to the 50-microm pores, suggesting an enhanced cell proliferation for the smaller pores.