Enhanced osseointegration of grit-blasted, NaOH-treated and electrochemically hydroxyapatite-coated Ti–6Al–4V implants in rabbits

Osseointegration, in terms of the bone apposition ratio (BAR) and the new bone area (NBA), was measured by backscattered electron imaging. The results were compared for four implant types: grit-blasted and NaOH-treated Ti–6Al–4 V (Uncoated-NaOH), electrodeposited with hydroxyapatite without alkali treatment (ED-HAp), electrodeposited with hydroxyapatite after alkali treatment (NaOH-ED-HAp), and plasma sprayed with hydroxyapatite (PS-HAp). No heat treatment was done after soaking in NaOH. The implants were press fitted into the intramedullary canal of mature New Zealand white rabbits and analyzed, both at the diaphyseal and at the metaphyseal zones, either 1 week or 12 weeks after surgery. NaOH-ED-HAp already exhibited a higher BAR value than the ED-HAp at 1 week, and was as good as the commercial PS-HAp at 12 weeks. The NBA value for NaOH-ED-HAp at 12 weeks was the highest. The higher content of octacalcium phosphate in NaOH-ED-HAp, as evident from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the oxygen shake-up peaks, and the associated increase in the solubility of this coating in vivo are considered responsible for the enhanced osseointegration. Taking into account also the reduced occurrence of delamination and the inherent advantages of the electrodeposition process, electrodeposition of HAp following soaking in NaOH may become an attractive alternative for the traditional plasma-sprayed process for coating of orthopedic and dental implants.