Characterisation of bioactive glass coatings on titanium substrates produced using a CO2 laser

Poly-ε-Caprolactone 3D-Printed Porous Scaffold in a Femoral Condyle Defect Model Induces Early Osteo-Regeneration

Large bone reconstruction following trauma poses significant challenges for reconstructive surgeons, leading to a healthcare burden for health systems, long-term pain for patients, and complex disorders such as infections that are difficult to resolve. The use of bone substitutes is suboptimal for substantial bone loss, as they induce localized atrophy and are generally weak, and unable to support load. A combination of strong polycaprolactone (PCL)-based scaffolds, with an average channel size of 330 µm, enriched with 20% w/w of hydroxyapatite (HA), β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP), or Bioglass 45S5 (Bioglass), has been developed and tested for bone regeneration in a critical-size ovine femoral condyle defect model. After 6 weeks, tissue ingrowth was analyzed using X-ray computed tomography (XCT), Backscattered Electron Microscopy (BSE), and histomorphometry. At this point, all materials promoted new bone formation. Histological analysis showed no statistical difference among the different biomaterials (p > 0.05), but PCL-Bioglass scaffolds enhanced bone formation in the center of the scaffold more than the other types of materials. These materials show potential to promote bone regeneration in critical-sized defects on load-bearing sites.

Effect of 20 μm thin ceramic coatings of hydroxyapatite, bioglass, GB14 and Beta-Tricalciumphosphate with copper on the biomechanical stability of femoral implants

In the present work, we test four thin coatings for titanium implants, namely, bioglass, GB14, Beta-Tricalciumphosphate (β-TCP) and hydroxyapatite (HA) with and without incorporated copper ions for their osteointegrative capacity. A rabbit drill hole model for time intervals up to 24 weeks was used in this study. Implant fixation was evaluated by measuring shear strength of the implant/bone interface. Quantitative histological analysis was performed for the measurements of bone contact area. Implants with and without copper ions were compared after 24 weeks. Thin coatings of GB14, HA or TCP on titanium implants demonstrated high shear strength during the entire test period of up to 24 weeks. Results confirmed osteointegrative properties of the coatings and did not reveal any negative effect of copper ions on osteointegration. The integration of copper in degradable osteoconductive coatings with a thickness of approx. 20 μm represents a promising method of achieving antibacterial shielding during the entire period of bone healing while at the same time improving osteointegration of the implants.

A novel multi-structural reinforced treatment on Ti implant utilizing a combination of alkali solution and bioactive glass sol

OBJECTIVE

Alkali treatment and bioactive glass (BG) sol dip-coating are well-known individual methods for titanium (Ti) surface modification. In this study, a unique combination of alkali treatment and bioactive glass sol dip coating was applied to the Ti substrate, then the mechanical properties and cell responses were investigated.

METHODS

Based on the methods introduced above, the Ti substrate was treated by 6 mL of an NaOH 5 M aqueous solution for 24 h at 60 ̊C; this was followed by adding 1.2 mL of a BG 58S sol to form a novel combined nanostructure network covered by a thin BG layer. For the assessment of the formed coating layer, the morphology, elemental analysis, phase structure, adhesion property and the cell response of the untreated and treated surfaces were investigated.

RESULTS

The BG coating layer was reinforced by the nanostructure, fabricated through the alkali treatment. The results obtained by applying the combined modification method confirmed that the mechanical and biological properties of the fabricated surface demonstrated the highest performance compared to that of the unmodified and individually modified surfaces.

SIGNIFICANCE

The achieved upgrades for this method could be gained from the demanded porous nanostructure and the apatite transformation ability of the alkali treatment. Therefore, the hybridized application of the alkali-BG treatment could be introduced as a promising surface modification strategy for hard-tissue replacement applications.

Characterization of the 3YSZ/CNT/HAP coating on the Ti6Al4V alloy by electrophoretic deposition

In this article, the effects of the simultaneous addition of the 3 mol % yttria-stabilized zirconia (3YSZ) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforcements on different properties of the natural hydroxyapatite (HAP) coating were studied. The electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process was implemented to prepare thin coatings on the Ti6Al4V substrate. The coatings were then sintered at 1000 ° C under vacuum for 2 hr and the mechanical properties of them were studied by the nano-indentation method. The microsture and phase content of the coatings were investigated by the scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction methods, respectively. The electrochemical properties of the samples were studied by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The biocompatibility of the coatings was evaluated by the MTT test under standard conditions. It was found that the proper voltage and duration for the deposition of the coatings were 20 V and 4 min, while the longer deposition time of up to 6 min. Was tolerable in the coatings containing 5 wt % of the CNTs. The hardness and Young's modulus of the coatings were improved significantly by the siumultaneous addition of 3YSZ and CNTs, but the effect of nanotubes was more prominent. It was also found that the composite coating had marginally lower biocompatibility, as compared to the natural HAP, which was probably due to their lower roughness. The corrosion resistance of the HAP was not affected by the presence of 3YSZ particles, while the addition of CNTs improved the corrosion resistance of the coatings.

Development of biodegradable bioactive glass ceramics by DLP printed containing EPCs/BMSCs for bone tissue engineering of rabbit mandible defects

Bioactive glass ceramics have excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductivity; and can form direct chemical bonds with human bones; thus, these ceramic are considered as "Smart" materials. In this study, we develop a new type of bioactive glass ceramic (AP40mod) as a scaffold containing Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and Mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to repair critical-sized bone defects in rabbit mandibles. For in vitro experiments: AP40mod was prepared by Dgital light processing (DLP) system and the optimal ratio of EPCs/BMSCs was screened by analyzing cell proliferation and ALP activity, as well as the influence of genes related to osteogenesis and angiogenesis by direct inoculation into scaffolds. The scaffold showed suitable mechanical properties, with a Bending strength 52.7 MPa and a good biological activity. Additionally, when EPCs/BMSCs ratio were combined at a ratio of 2:1 with AP40mod, the ALP activity, osteogenesis and angiogenesis were significantly increased. For in vivo experiments: application of AP40mod/EPCs/BMSCs (after 7 days of in vitro spin culture) to repair and reconstruct critical-sized mandible defect in rabbit showed that all scaffolds were successfully accurately implanted into the defect area. As revealed by macroscopically and CT at the end of 9 months, defects in the AP40mod/EPCs/BMSCs group were nearly completely covered by normal bone and the degradation rate was 29.9% compared to 20.1% in the AP40mod group by the 3D reconstruction. As revealed by HE and Masson staining analyses, newly formed blood vessels, bone marrow and collagen maturity were significantly increased in the AP40mod/EPCs/BMSCs group compared to those in the AP40mod group. We directly inoculated cells on the novel material to screen for the best inoculation ratio. It is concluded that the AP40mod combination of EPCs/BMSCs is a promising approach for repairing and reconstructing large load bearing bone defect.

Bioactive glass particulate filler composite: Effect of coupling of fillers and filler loading on some physical properties

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of silanization of biostable and bioactive glass fillers in a polymer matrix on some of the physical properties of the composite.

METHODS

The water absorption, solubility, flexural strength, flexural modulus and toughness of different particulate filler composite resins were studied in vitro. Five different specimen groups were analyzed: A glass-free control, a non-silanized bioactive glass, a silanized bioactive glass, a non-silanized biostable glass and a silanized biostable glass groups. All of these five groups were further divided into sub-groups of dry and water-stored materials, both of them containing groups with 3wt%, 6wt%, 9wt% or 12wt% of glass particles (n=8 per group). The silanization of the glass particles was carried out with 2% of gamma-3-methacryloxyproyltrimethoxysilane (MPS). For the water absorption and solubility tests, the test specimens were stored in water for 60 days, and the percentages of weight change were statistically analyzed. Flexural strength, flexural modulus and toughness values were tested with a three-point bending test and statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

Higher solubility values were observed in non-silanized glass in proportion to the percentage of glass particles. Silanization, on the other hand, decreased the solubility values of both types of glass particles and polymer. While 12wt% non-silanized bioactive glass specimens showed -0.98wt% solubility, 12wt% silanized biostable glass specimens were observed to have only -0.34wt% solubility. The three-point bending results of the dry specimens showed that flexural strength, toughness and flexural modulus decreased in proportion to the increase of glass fillers. The control group presented the highest results (106.6MPa for flexural strength, 335.7kPA for toughness, 3.23GPa for flexural modulus), whereas for flexural strength and toughness, 12wt% of non-silanized biostable glass filler groups presented the lowest (70.3MPa for flexural strength, 111.5kPa for toughness). For flexural modulus on the other hand, 12wt% of silanized biostable glass filler group gave the lowest results (2.57GPa).

SIGNIFICANCE

The silanization of glass fillers improved the properties of the glass as well as the properties of the composite. Silanization of bioactive glass may protect the glass from leaching at early stage of water storage.

Three-dimensional bioactive glass implants fabricated by rapid prototyping based on CO(2) laser cladding

Three-dimensional bioactive glass implants were produced by rapid prototyping based on laser cladding without using moulds. CO(2) laser radiation was employed to melt 45S5 and S520 bioactive glass particles and to deposit the material layer by layer following a desired geometry. Controlled thermal input and cooling rate by fine tuning of the processing parameters allowed the production of crack-free fully dense implants. Microstructural characterization revealed chemical composition stability, but crystallization during processing was extensive when 45S5 bioactive glass was used. Improved results were obtained using the S520 bioactive glass, which showed limited surface crystallization due to an expanded sintering window (the difference between the glass transition temperature and crystallization onset temperature). Ion release from the S520 implants in Tris buffer was similar to that of amorphous 45S5 bioactive glass prepared by casting in graphite moulds. Laser processed S520 scaffolds were not cytotoxic in vitro when osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured with the dissolution products of the glasses; and the MC3T3-E1 cells attached and spread well when cultured on the surface of the materials.

Examination of the inflammatory response following implantation of titanium plates coated with phospholipids in rats

Implantation of biomaterials like titanium (Ti) causes inflammatory reactions possibly affecting implant functionality. Surface modifications could improve biocompatibility and functionality of implants. Biomembrane-derived phospholipids might be useful as implant coating due to their biomimetic properties. In vitro studies demonstrated beneficial effects for 2-oleoyl-1-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamin (POPE) as coating regarding interactions with cells and bacteria. Therefore, this in vivo study aimed at examining local inflammatory reactions after implantation of POPE-coated Ti plates. Ti implants with POPE attached non-covalently or covalent via octadecylphosphonic acid (OPA), with OPA alone and uncoated controls were simultaneously implanted intramuscularly in rats for 7, 14 and 56 days. The peri-implant tissue was quantitatively analyzed by immunohistochemistry for total macrophages, tissue macrophages, T cells, antigen-presenting cells and proliferating cells. Overall, both POPE-coated series were comparable to the controls. Furthermore, no differences were found between POPE coating on a covalently linked OPA monolayer and POPE coating dried from solution. Together with earlier in vitro results, this demonstrates the potential of phospholipids for implant surface modification.

Radio-opaque bioactive glass markers for radiostereometric analysis

The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that resorbable radio-opaque bioactive glass markers can be used in radiostereometric analysis (RSA). Cones made from (1) bioactive glass 1-06 with 2.5 wt.% BaSO(4), (2) glass 1-06 with 10 wt.% BaSO(4), (3) glass 1-06 without any additives and (4) nearly inert glass were created. The in vitro surface reactivity, as a surrogate of bioactivity, was analyzed using a simulated body fluid (SBF) immersion test. The in vivo performance was evaluated in the rat femur using biomechanical testing as well as histological and microcomputed tomography analysis of marker incorporation into bone. A phantom model RSA study using a porcine radius with a soft tissue envelope was carried out to determine the accuracy and precision of spherical markers for the measurement of fracture micromotion. SBF immersion studies and bone implantation studies showed that the addition of BaSO(4) slightly reduced surface reactivity in vitro and the bone-bonding properties of the bioactive glass in vivo. In the simulated RSA study with the selected resorbable marker composition (bioactive glass with 10 wt.% BaSO(4)), the accuracy of translation and rotation measurements in the longitudinal axis was +/-51 microm and +/-0.87 degrees , respectively. The precision of translation and rotation measurements in the longitudinal axis were 9 microm and 0.18 degrees , respectively. Bioactive glass markers with BaSO(4) additive appear to have adequate bone-bonding properties for marker stability and sufficient radio-opacity for RSA, but further preclinical comparison studies with tantalum markers are necessary.

Physical and biocompatibility studies of novel titanium dioxide doped phosphate-based glasses for bone tissue engineering applications

This study investigated doping titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) into phosphate glasses, 50 P(2)O(5)-30 CaO-20 Na(2)O, to control their degradation rate and enhance their biological response to be suitable scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications. The thermal and structural properties were analysed using differential thermal analysis and X-ray powder diffraction. The effect of TiO(2) incorporation on degradation rate, ion release, and pH changes was also carried out. In vitro cyto-biocompatibility was assessed through MG63 human osteosarcoma cells attachment and viability using scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy, respectively. The results showed that addition of TiO(2) produced a significant increase in density and glass transition temperature. X-ray diffraction analysis showed the presence of NaCa(PO(3))(3) as a main phase of these glasses with titanium phosphate Ti-P(2)O(7) only detected for 5 mol% TiO(2) glasses. The degradation rate, however, was significantly reduced by one order of magnitude with incorporation of 5 mol% TiO(2) which has been reflected in released ions (cations and anions) and the minimal pH changes. Moreover, addition of TiO(2), 3 and 5 mol% in particular, supported the MG63 cells attachment and maintained high cell viability up to 7 days culture comparable to Thermanox. These results suggested that TiO(2) containing phosphate glasses can be a promising substrate for bone tissue engineering applications.