Biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) modified by gas plasmas and their in vitro functions as bone implants

Artificial implants are alternatives to autologous grafts in repairing severe bone damage and in many clinical applications, the artificial implant materials should be biodegradable in order to avoid chronic problems associated with biostable implants. In this study, a biodegradable biopolymer, poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu), is treated by N(2), NH(3) and H(2)O plasmas and investigated as bone replacement materials in vitro to obtain a better understanding of the behavior of osteoblasts on the different plasma-treated materials. N(2), NH(3), and H(2)O plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) produces dominant C-N, C═N, and C-O surface functional groups, respectively rendering the materials with hydrophilic characteristics which favor osteoblast adhesion and early proliferation. In particular, N-containing groups, especially C═N, are more positive to osteogenic differentiation of the seeded osteoblasts than C-O. Among the 3 plasma treatments, NH(3) PIII is the most effective, yielding surface properties that are suitable for artificial bone implants.