Bone cell adhesion on titanium implants with nanoscale surface features

The topography and morphology of participate Ti-6AL-4V and ASTM Grade II Ti were investigated in relation to their effects on cellular functions in orthopedic applications. Osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) were seeded onto substrates in order to assess the influence of particle size, particle shape and substrate grain size on cytocompatibility. Cells were cultured before seeding and were fixated and stained after adhesion and proliferation bioactivities. Fluorescent microscopy was utilized for cell counting and the mechanisms of adhesion were determined by scanning electron microscopy. Observations confirm the potential of submicron particles or nanoparticles in improving the biocompatibility of titanium implants.