Fibroblastic interactions with high-porosity Ti-6Al-4V metal foam

A novel metallic Ti-6Al-4V foam in development at the National Research Council of Canada was investigated for its ability to foster cell attachment and growth using a fibroblast cell culture model. The foam was manufactured via a powder metallurgical process that could produce interconnected porosity greater than 70%. Cell attachment was assessed after 6 and 24 h, while proliferation was examined after 3 and 7 days. Ingrown fibroblasts displayed a number of different morphologies; some fibroblasts were spread thinly in close apposition with the irregular surface, or more often had several anchorage points and extended in three dimensions as they spanned pore space. It was also demonstrated that fibroblasts were actively migrating through the porous scaffold over a 14-day period. In a 60-day extended culture, fibroblasts were bridging and filling macropores and had extensively infiltrated the foams. Overall, it was established that this foam was supportive of cell attachment and proliferation, migration through the porous network, and that it was capable of sustaining a large cell population.