Laser-assisted manipulation of Volta potential pattern on the TC4 surface for improved hBMSCs osteogenesis

The Ti6Al4V (TC4) alloy, a prevalent biomedical material in orthopedics, still faces limitation of the insufficient osseointegration. To improve the bioactivity of TC4, introducing the electric environment onto the TC4 surface may be an effective way in the view of the necessity of endogenous electric microenvironment in bone regeneration. Herein, a Volta potential pattern was engendered on the TC4 surface via parallel laser patterning, so as to promote the osteogenic differentiation of cells. A 15 W laser successfully transformed the original α + β dual phase towards radially distributed lath-like martensite phase in the laser treated region. The atomic lattice distortion between the heterogeneous microstructures of the laser treated and untreated regions leads to a significant Volta potential fluctuation on the TC4 surface. The Volta potential pattern as well as the laser-engraved microgrooves respectively induced mutually orthogonal cell alignments. The hBMSCs osteogenic differentiation was significantly enhanced on the laser treated TC4 surfaces in comparison to the surface without the laser treatment. Moreover, a drastic Volta potential gradient on the TC4 surface (treated with 15 W power and 400 μm interval) resulted in the most pronounced osteogenic differentiation tendency compared to other groups. Modulating the electric environment on the TC4 surface by manipulating the phase transformation may provide an effective way in evoking favorable cell response of bone regeneration, thereby improving the bioactivity of TC4 implant.