Designed mastoid micropattern couple with nanoporous structure on Ti6Al4V surface for enhanced osseointegration

The specifically designed hierarchical patterns at both the micro and nano scales on Ti6Al4V implants surfaces are critical for achieving efficient osseointegration performance. In this study, we prepared designed mastoid micropatterns coupled with nanoporous structures on the Ti6Al4V surface using laser etching and additional dealloying techniques. For comparison, two additional patterns that a nanoporous structure and a mastoid micropattern with uneven nanoparticles were prepared by dealloying and laser etching, respectively. It was shown that the introduction of designed mastoid micropatterns combined with nanoporous structures significantly enhanced cell adhesion, spreading, and proliferation compared to the nanoporous structure and the mastoid micropattern with uneven nanoparticles. Furthermore, results from alkaline phosphatase assays, osteogenic collagen production assessments, extracellular matrix mineralization analyses, and PCR evaluations demonstrated that these specifically designed hierarchical patterns exhibited superior osteogenic differentiation capabilities relative to the other two patterns. In vivo studies conducted in rats revealed that the designed hierarchical patterns displayed enhanced biocompatibility and osseointegration abilities. These results suggest that Ti6Al4V implants featuring designed mastoid micropatterns alongside nanoporous structures represent a promising candidate for hard tissue applications.