The release behavior of CHX from polymer-coated titanium surfaces

Titanium has been successfully used in dental implants due to its favorable biological response. However, implant failures caused by infection often occurred with a complex microbial exposure. Chlorhexidine (CHX) is effective against a wide variety of bacteria as well as fungi. The aim of the present study is to investigate the release behavior of CHX from CHX-containing polylactide (PLA)-coated titanium. Commercially, pure titanium was anodized with surfaces exposed to an anodic-forming voltage of 250 V for 3 min. The anodized titanium surfaces were then coated with a PLA/CHX solution. Topographic evaluation was performed using a SEM, and the antibacterial effect was evaluated. The concentrations of CHX were measured using a UV spectrophotometer. In the surface morphology analysis, the uncoated titanium surface showed a porous structure, but the surfaces coated with a polymer displayed nonporous structures and wrinkled surfaces. In addition, there were no differences in the surface roughness between the uncoated and coated surface. On the basis of the comparative analysis of both the UV absorbance of CHX and the surface characteristics, we concluded that the PLA coating can effectively control the release of CHX on anodized titanium surfaces. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.