Bioactivity of Chemically Modified Porous Titanium

Abstract

The aim of the present investigation is to enhance in-vitro bioactivity and protein adsorption of porous titanium with 3D interconnected pores by various chemical treatments (alkali, dual acid, citric acid and fluoride treatments). The untreated and treated samples were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The protein adsorption study was carried out with Bradford’s reagent using Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). The optical microscopy reveals that untreated Ti sample exhibited 41.36% surface porosity. The in-vitro bioactivity of the treated and untreated Ti sample was evaluated by immersing them in simulated body fluid (SBF) for different time intervals. The immersed samples were characterized using XRD and SEM to confirm the growth and morphology of apatite. It was observed that apatite deposition of fluoride treated sample was denser than other treated samples for the same period immersed in SBF. All the surface treated samples showed good protein adsorption. The alkali treated sample showed maximum protein adsorption amongst other chemically treated samples which may be due to enhanced micro-roughness and strong electrostatic affinity between the protein and the surface. The enhanced in vitro bioactivity in the surface treated porous titanium indicates that the healing time of the bone and implant in patients can be reduced with good osseointegration.