Biocompatibility of supercritical CO2-treated titanium implants in a rat model

Supercritical phase CO2 is a promising method for sterilizing implantable devices and tissue grafts. The goal of this study is to evaluate the biocompatibility of titanium implants sterilized by supercritical phase CO2 in a rat subcutaneous implantation model. At 5 weeks post implantation titanium implants sterilized by supercritical phase CO2 produce a soft tissue reaction that is comparable to other methods of sterilization (steam autoclave, ultraviolet light radiation, ethylene oxide gas, and radio-frequency glow-discharge), as indicated by the thickness and density of the foreign body capsule, although there were some differences on the capillary density. Overall the soft tissue response to the implants was similar among all methods of sterilization, indicating supercritical phase CO2 treatment did not compromise the biocompatibility of the titanium implant.