Osteoconductive and Osteoinductive Properties of Zeolite MFI Coatings on Titanium Alloys

The use of zeolite MFI-coated titanium alloy for bone cell growth and new bone formation in vitro is investigated. The corrosion-resistant MFI coating is shown to be osteoconductive and to promote proliferation of human fetal osteoblasts (hFOBs) as compared to bare titanium alloy, Ti6Al4V. The zeolite crystal microstructure appears to facilitate osteoblast adhesion and induces osteointegration, as evaluated with microscopy. in addition, the zeolite promotes the differentiation of hFOBs into mature osteoblasts, as well as the production of a mineralized matrix at earlier times in culture compared to Ti6Al4V, indicating higher osteoinductive properties of the MFI coating than titanium alone. A significant increase in the expression of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-2) gene is measured in hFOBs cultured on zeolite coatings compared to bare Ti6Al4V. This is the first report on highly corrosion-resistant zeolite MFI coatings on Ti6Al4V alloys with the potential to be used as a material of improved osteointegration appropriate for bone tissue regeneration.