Micropatterned TiO2 effects on calcium phosphate mineralization

The effects of implant surface topography and chemistry on biomineralization have been a research focus because of their potential importance in orthopedic and bone replacement applications. While a vast amount of research is focusing on chemical modified surfaces and rough surfaces, little attention has been paid to the well-defined micropatterned surface effects on calcium phosphate mineralization process due to the difficulties in preparing microfabricated biomaterial surfaces. This work focuses on the effects of microgrooved TiO2 surfaces on the calcium phosphate mineralization process. Firstly, we developed a new process that can prepare microgrooved TiO2 coatings on glass substrates using soft-lithography and sol-gel technology. Then microgrooved TiO2 surfaces were used to induce Ca-P mineralization under biomimetic conditions. The results revealed that topography dominated the growth and distribution of mineralization at the initial days and then the effects of topography become weak with the extended immersion days.