Osteoblast activity on anodized titania nanotubes: effect of simulated body fluid soaking time

Early phase osseointegration is crucial for orthopedic implants. For the improvement of osseointegrative properties of orthopedic implants several surface modification methods such as acid etching, hydroxyapatite (HA) coating and sandblasting can be applied. In this article titanium implants were anodized to possess nanotubular titania structures on the surface. Titania nanotube structures with a 45-50 nm of average inner diameter were obtained and to enhance bioactivity, samples were soaked in 10X simulated body fluid (SBF) for apatite deposition on surface for different time periods (1, 2, 3, 5, 8 hours). Apatitic calcium phosphate deposited surfaces were analyzed with infrared spectrometry and wettability studies. Effect of soaking time on osteoblast cell was investigated by cell viability, alkaline phosphatase activity tests and morphological evaluations. As a result, 3 hours of soaking time was found as the optimum time period (p < 0.005). This in vitro study indicated that soaking in 10X SBF can be a rapid and economical technique to enhance osseointegration of anodized titanium implants however excess and/or uncontrolled HA coating of titania layer limits the bioactive potential of the implant.