Biocompatibility and antibacterial activity of plasma sprayed titania coating grafting collagen and gentamicin

In this article, the plasma sprayed titania coatings were treated by grafting pure and gentamicin loaded collagen to improve the biocompatibility and antibacterial activity. The biocompatibility of the titania coating grafting collagen was evaluated by in vitro cell culturing test. The release rate of gentamicin from collagen was measured in tris-HCl buffer using UV spectrophotometer, and the antibacterial activity of the titania coating with gentamicin against Staphylococcus aureus was examined using the zone of inhibition test. The results showed that collagen was successfully grafted on the surface of titania coatings treated by sulfuric acid. The in vitro cell culturing test revealed that collagen significantly improved the cell adhesion and proliferation on the surface of titania coatings. The gentamicin loaded in collagen matrix could retain a sustained release in tris-HCl for 30 days, which was efficient to protect against the postoperative infection caused by S. aureus. The results indicated that the plasma sprayed titania coating grafting collagen and gentamicin would have the antibacterial activity together with the biocompatibility, which might be beneficial for the long term stability and surgical success rate of implants.