Nanotopographic features induced by plasma flame modulate the osteoinductivity of titanium alloy

Nanotopographical surface modification of titanium alloy implants is effective in improving the osseointegration. Herein, a new nanotopography modulation approach was proposed based on the plasma flame (PF) generated by plasma spraying equipment. It was proved that the PF treatment can not only produce TiO2 on the Ti alloy surface, but also modulate its nanostructural characteristics. Besides a peak at 200-250 nm, the PF treatment induces extra light adsorption peaks located at 350-400 nm and 800-900 nm, depending on the nanostructure. In vitro cell culture experiments prove that the introduction of surface TiO2 nanotopography by the PF treatment modulates cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. This study highlights the potential of the PF treatment as a nanotopography modulator for enhancing the biological performance of the biomedical Ti alloy.

Automated summary

A new method of nanotopography modulation using plasma flame generated by plasma spraying equipment was proposed in this study. It was found that the method can improve the biocompatibility and osseointegration of titanium alloy implants.