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Plasma Polishing as a New Polishing Option to Reduce the Surface Roughness of Porous Titanium Alloy for 3D Printing
Published on: April 28, 2023
Comparative in vitro study on a ultra-high roughness and dense titanium coating.
Veronica Borsari1, Gianluca Giavaresi, Milena Fini
1Department of Experimental Surgery, Research Institute Codivilla-Putti, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna, Italy.
Biomaterials
|March 17, 2005
Summary
A novel ultra-high roughness titanium implant surface (PG60) shows promising in vitro biological responses, comparable to existing orthopedic coatings. This development aims to reduce stress shielding and extend prosthesis lifespan.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Orthopedic Engineering
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Stress shielding is a major cause of premature implant failure in orthopedics.
- Developing implant surfaces that minimize stress shielding can prolong prosthesis longevity.
- Titanium (Ti) coatings applied via vacuum plasma spraying are common in orthopedic implants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro biological effects of a new ultra-high roughness, dense Ti surface (PG60) compared to medium (TI01) and high (TI60) roughness porous coatings.
- To assess cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin production, procollagen-I synthesis, and growth factor/cytokine release on different Ti surfaces.
- To determine if the novel PG60 surface offers superior biological performance for orthopedic applications.
Main Methods:
- Vacuum plasma spraying was used to create Ti surfaces with varying roughness: PG60 (Ra = 74 µm, dense), TI01 (Ra = 18 µm, porous), and TI60 (Ra = 40 µm, porous).
- MG63 osteoblast-like cells were cultured on these surfaces and polystyrene (control) for 3 and 7 days.
- Cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteocalcin (OCN) levels, procollagen-I synthesis, transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and nitric oxide (NO) activity were measured.
Main Results:
- Cell proliferation was similar across all tested Ti surfaces and the control.
- ALP activity and osteocalcin levels were lower on the TI60 surface compared to TI01 and PG60.
- Procollagen-I synthesis decreased with increasing roughness, with PG60 showing the lowest levels.
- TGF-β1 levels initially increased with roughness but were lower on TI60 at 7 days compared to PG60 and TI01.
- IL-6 levels were significantly higher on all Ti surfaces than on polystyrene.
- Nitric Oxide activity was higher on TI01 compared to TI60 and polystyrene.
Conclusions:
- The ultra-high roughness, dense PG60 titanium surface demonstrates a favorable in vitro biological response.
- In vitro, the PG60 surface's biological performance is comparable to existing medium and high roughness porous Ti coatings.
- Further in vivo studies are warranted to confirm the potential of PG60 to reduce stress shielding and enhance prosthesis lifespan.
