Surface roughness of titanium on bone morphogenetic protein-2 treated osteoblast cells in vitro

Surface topography plays a critical role in the interaction of dental implants with adjacent tissues. No statistical differences in oxide composition and surface contamination were observed between 600 grit and polished titanium surfaces. The expression of osteoblast phenotype was enhanced when osteoblast progenitor cells (2T9) were stimulated with bone morphogenetic protein-2 on polished and 600 grit titanium surfaces. Bone morphogenetic protein-2 stimulated phenotypic expression on 600 grit titanium surfaces was marked by prolonged alkaline phosphatase specific activity and more rapid osteocalcin production as compared with the polished titanium surfaces. Because the surface area of the 600 grit titanium surface was shown to be 8 percent greater than that of the polished titanium surface, it is possible that increased surface area played a role in the enhanced expression of the osteoblast phenotype.