Biocompatibility studies of low temperature nitrided and collagen-I coated AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel

Multifunctional natural polymer-based metallic implant surface modifications

High energy traumas could cause critical damage to bone, which will require permanent implants to recover while functionally integrating with the host bone. Critical sized bone defects necessitate the use of bioactive metallic implants. Because of bioinertness, various methods involving surface modifications such as surface treatments, the development of novel alloys, bioceramic/bioglass coatings, and biofunctional molecule grafting have been utilized to effectively integrate metallic implants with a living bone. However, the applications of these methods demonstrated a need for an interphase layer improving bone-making to overcome two major risk factors: aseptic loosening and peri-implantitis. To accomplish a biologically functional bridge with the host to prevent loosening, regenerative cues, osteoimmunomodulatory modifications, and electrochemically resistant layers against corrosion appeared as imperative reinforcements. In addition, interphases carrying antibacterial cargo were proven to be successful against peri-implantitis. In the literature, metallic implant coatings employing natural polymers as the main matrix were presented as bioactive interphases, enabling rapid, robust, and functional osseointegration with the host bone. However, a comprehensive review of natural polymer coatings, bridging and grafting on metallic implants, and their activities has not been reported. In this review, state-of-the-art studies on multifunctional natural polymer-based implant coatings effectively utilized as a bone tissue engineering (BTE) modality are depicted. Protein-based, polysaccharide-based coatings and their combinations to achieve better osseointegration via the formation of an extracellular matrix-like (ECM-like) interphase with gap filling and corrosion resistance abilities are discussed in detail. The hypotheses and results of these studies are examined and criticized, and the potential future prospects of multifunctional coatings are also proposed as final remarks.

From Austenitic Stainless Steel to Expanded Austenite-S Phase: Formation, Characteristics and Properties of an Elusive Metastable Phase

Austenitic stainless steels are employed in many industrial fields, due to their excellent corrosion resistance, easy formability and weldability. However, their low hardness, poor tribological properties and the possibility of localized corrosion in specific environments may limit their use. Conventional thermochemical surface treatments, such as nitriding or carburizing, are able to enhance surface hardness, but at the expense of corrosion resistance, owing to the formation of chromium-containing precipitates. An effective alternative is the so called low temperature treatments, which are performed with nitrogen- and/or carbon-containing media at temperatures, at which chromium mobility is low and the formation of precipitates is hindered. As a consequence, interstitial atoms are retained in solid solution in austenite, and a metastable supersaturated phase forms, named expanded austenite or S phase. Since the first studies, dating 1980s, the S phase has demonstrated to have high hardness and good corrosion resistance, but also other interesting properties and an elusive structure. In this review the main studies on the formation and characteristics of S phase are summarized and the results of the more recent research are also discussed. Together with mechanical, fatigue, tribological and corrosion resistance properties of this phase, electric and magnetic properties, wettability and biocompatibility are overviewed.

Effects of Surface Modification by Means of Low-Temperature Plasma Nitriding on Wetting and Corrosion Behavior of Austenitic Stainless Steel

Low-temperature nitriding of austenitic stainless steels produces modified surface layers, consisting mainly of the S phase, which improve surface hardness and corrosion resistance. Because of the localized plastic deformations, owing to modified layer formation, and ion bombardment occurring during the process itself, this treatment produces also modifications of surface morphology and roughness, which can affect wettability and corrosion behavior. In this study the effects of plasma nitriding, performed using different treatment conditions, on the surface morphology and roughness, and thus on wettability and corrosion resistance, of AISI 202 specimens with different initial finishings (2D and polished finishing) were investigated. Different probe liquids, having both high (bi-distilled water and solution of 3.5% NaCl) and low (ethanol and rapeseed oil) surface tension, were employed for assessing the wetting behavior with the sessile drop method. The contact angle values for water increased markedly when nitriding was performed on polished samples, while this increase was smaller for 2D samples, and on selected specimens a hydrophobic behavior was observed. Very low contact angle values were registered using low surface tension liquids, suggesting an oleophilic behavior. Corrosion resistance in a 5% NaCl solution was assessed, and it depended on the characteristics of the nitrided specimens.

Plasma nitriding under low temperature improves the endothelial cell biocompatibility of 316L stainless steel

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effects of the surface modification of 316L stainless steel (SS) by low-temperature plasma nitriding on endothelial cells for stent applications.

RESULTS

X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the incorporation of nitrogen into the treated steel. The surface treatment significantly increased SS roughness and hydrophilic characteristics. After 4 h the cells adhered to the nitride surfaces and formed clusters. During the 24 h incubation period, cell viability on the nitrided surface was higher compared to the polished surface. Nitriding reduced late apoptosis of rabbit aorta endothelial cell (RAEC) on the SS surface.

CONCLUSION

Low temperature plasma nitriding improved the biocompatible of stainless steel for use in stents.

Cultures and co-cultures of human blood mononuclear cells and endothelial cells for the biocompatibility assessment of surface modified AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel

Samples of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel were subjected either to grinding and polishing procedure, or to grinding and then low temperature glow-discharge nitriding treatment, or to grinding, nitriding and subsequently coating with collagen-I. Nitrided samples, even if only ground, show a higher corrosion resistance in PBS solution, in comparison with ground and polished AISI 316L. Biocompatibility was evaluated in vitro by incubating the samples with either peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), tested separately or in co-culture. HUVEC-PBMC co-culture and co-incubation of HUVEC with PBMC culture medium, after the previous incubation of PBMC with metallic samples, allowed to determine whether the incubation of PBMC with the different samples might affect HUVEC behaviour. Many biological parameters were considered: cell proliferation, release of cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and sICAM-1, gelatinolytic activity of MMPs, and ICAM-1 protein expression. Nitriding treatment, with or without collagen coating of the samples, is able to ameliorate some of the biological parameters taken into account. The obtained results point out that biocompatibility may be successfully tested in vitro, using cultures of normal human cells, as blood and endothelial cells, but more than one cell line should be used, separately or in co-culture, and different parameters should be determined, in particular those correlated with inflammatory phenomena.

In vitro response of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells to AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel subjected to nitriding and collagen coating treatments

Surface modification treatments can be used to improve the biocompatibility of austenitic stainless steels. In the present research two different modifications of AISI 316L stainless steel were considered, low temperature nitriding and collagen-I coating, applied as single treatment or in conjunction. Low temperature nitriding produced modified surface layers consisting mainly of S phase, which enhanced corrosion resistance in PBS solution. Biocompatibility was assessed using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in culture. Proliferation, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, release of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-12, IL-10), secretion of metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and its inhibitor TIMP-1, and the gelatinolytic activity of MMP-9 were determined. While the 48-h incubation of PBMC with all the sample types did not negatively influence cell proliferation, LDH and MMP-9 levels, suggesting therefore a good biocompatibility, the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines was always remarkable when compared to that of control cells. However, in the presence of the nitrided and collagen coated samples, the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β decreased, while that of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 increased, in comparison with the untreated AISI 316L samples. Our results suggest that some biological parameters were ameliorated by these surface treatments of AISI 316L.