Bone bonding behavior of the hydroxyapatite containing glass-titanium composite prepared by the Cullet method

Bioactive composites composed of hydroxyapatite containing glass (HA-G) as a coating and titanium (Ti) or titanium alloy implants as a substrate were prepared by the Cullet method. This method results in the HA-G coating layer on the substrate with a compositional gradient in HA concentration. The results of in vitro and in vivo experiments investigating the characteristics of the composite materials are reported and discussed in this article. In vitro evaluations confirmed that the Cullet method was suitable for the preparation of the functionally gradient composite implants with higher reliable quality. In vivo experiments permitted evaluation of bonding strength of these composite implants to living bone tissue. Mechanical pull-out tests indicated that the implants bonded to living bone at least as firmly as those by the conventional method, and that the adhesion between the HA-G coating layer and metal substrate was well integrated and strongly maintained in vivo. SEM observations with EDX and a histological study of the interface between the HA-G-Ti composite implants and bone tissue revealed not only that the implants bonded to bone directly without any intervening tissue but that bone ingrowth into the HA-G layer occurred. The HA-G-Ti composite implants demonstrate both biocompatible and osteoconductive characteristics, and may be expected to obtain good and lasting results when applied clinically. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.