Comparable responses of osteoblast lineage cells to microstructured hydrophilic titanium-zirconium and...

Although titanium (Ti) is commonly used for dental implants, Ti alloy materials are being developed to improve their physical material properties. Studies indicate that osteoblast differentiation and maturation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and normal human osteoblasts (NHOsts) respond to microstructured Ti and titanium-aluminum-vanadium (Ti6Al4V) surfaces in a similar manner. The goal of this study was to determine whether this is the case for osteoblast lineage cells grown on microstructured TiZr surfaces and whether their response is affected by surface nanotexture and hydrophilicity.

Grade 4 Ti and TiZr (13-17% Zr) disks were modified by large grit sand-blasting and acid-etching with storage in saline solution, resulting in a complex microstructured and hydrophilic surface corresponding to the commercially available implants SLActive^® and Roxolid^® SLActive^® (Institut Straumann AG, Basel, Switzerland). The subsequent Ti modSLA and TiZr modSLA surfaces were characterized and osteogenic markers were measured.

Evaluation of physical parameters revealed that the fabrication method was capable of inducing a microstructured and hydrophilic surface on both the Ti and TiZr disks. Overall, the surfaces were similar, but differences in nanostructure morphology/density and surface chemistry were detected. On Ti modSLA and TiZr modSLA, osteoblastic differentiation and maturation markers were enhanced in both MSCs and NHOsts, while inflammatory markers decreased compared with TCPS.

These results indicate a similar positive cell response of MSCs and NHOsts when cultured on Ti modSLA and TiZr modSLA. Both surfaces were hydrophilic, indicating the importance of this property to osteoblast lineage cells.