| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1428197 | Materials Science and Engineering: C | 2015 | 6 Pages |
•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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