ZnO-Hydroxyapatite-Coated Ti-6Al-4V With Curcumin and Ginger Extract for Load-Bearing Implants

There is a rising trend in the number of clinical cases related to bone implantation and bone cancer across the globe due to longer life expectancy, accidents, and sports-related injuries. In this study, we have used curcumin and ginger extract as alternate osseointegrating agents with in vitro osteosarcoma inhibition potential for load-bearing, site-specific delivery after direct incorporation on the plasma-sprayed ZnO-doped hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated Ti-6Al-4V. Successful parametric optimization during coating can lead to thickness of 80-150 μm. The in vivo efficacy of this novel localized delivery vehicle for initial-stage osseointegration is tested with a rat distal femur model. Various histological evaluations with Masson-Goldner, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and Sanderson rapid bone staining (SRBS) indicate up to ~2 times greater new bone formation surrounding the drug-loaded implants than the control group. The in vitro results indicate that curcumin and ginger extract reduce MG-63 osteosarcoma cell viability on the implant surface by 11-fold. The assessment of antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) shows ~92% efficacy of the treatment samples. After osteosarcoma surgery, these localized drug delivery vehicles can find applications in load-bearing defect repair sites.