Preparation and in vitro characterization of aerosol-deposited hydroxyapatite coatings with different surface roughnesses

► Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings with different surface roughnesses are deposited on a Ti substrate via aerosol deposition. ► The surface microstructures of the HA coatings are remarkably altered by use of powders with different particle size distributions. ► There exists an optimum surface roughness of the aerosol-deposited HA coating for excellent cellular response.