In vitro antimicrobial and biological properties of laser assisted tricalcium phosphate coating on titanium for load bearing implant

Implant related infections are of great concern in modern surgery. In order to improve the implant performance and to reduce implant related infections, titanium (Ti) surface was modified to simultaneously improve cell-material interactions and antimicrobial activity. Ti surface was first coated with tricalcium phosphate (TCP) using Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS (TM)) to improve biocompatibility. Silver (Ag) was then electrode posited from different concentrations of silver nitrate (AgNO3) solutions to improve the antimicrobial activity. The Ag-TCP coatings were tested for cytotoxicy with human osteoblast cells. The antimicrobial activities of the Ag-TCP coatings were evaluated using Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. In vitro bacterial adhesion study indicated a significant reduction in bacterial colony on Ag-TCP coated surfaces when compared to TCP coated surface. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.