Hydrothermal treatment of titanium alloys for the enhancement of osteoconductivity

• Hydrothermal treatment in distilled water was applied to titanium alloys.
• Surface characteristics and osteoconductivity by in vivo test were evaluated.
• Water contact angles of titanium alloys were decreased by hydrothermal treatment.
• Osteoconductivity of titanium alloys improved notably by hydrothermal treatment after stored in × 5 of PBS (−).

The surface wettability of implants is a crucial factor in their osteoconductivity because it influences the adsorption of cell-attached proteins onto the surface. In this study, a single-step hydrothermal surface treatment using distilled water at a temperature of 180 °C for 3 h was applied to titanium (Ti) and its alloys (Ti–6Al–4V, Ti–6Al–7Nb, Ti–29Nb–13Ta–4.6Zr, Ti–13Cr–1Fe–3Al; mass%) and compared with as-polished Ti implants and with implants produced by anodizing Ti in 0.1 M of H3PO4 with applied voltages from 0 V to 150 V at a scanning rate of 0.1 V s− 1. The surface-treated samples were stored in a five time phosphate buffered saline (× 5 PBS(−)) solution to prevent increasing the water contact angle (WCA) with time. The surface characteristics were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, surface roughness, and contact angle measurement using a 2 μL droplet of distilled water. The relationship between WCA and osteoconductivity at various surface modifications was examined using in vivo tests. The results showed that a superhydrophilic surface with a WCA ≤ 10° and a high osteoconductivity (RB–I) of up to 50% in the cortical bone part, about four times higher than the as-polished Ti and Ti alloys, were provided by the combination of the hydrothermal surface treatment and storage in × 5 of PBS(−).

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