Antimicrobial activity of the surface coatings on TiAlZr implant biomaterial

This study is devoted to antimicrobial activity of new surface coatings on TiAlZr. Ti alloys such as TiAlZr are used as implant biomaterials, but, despite the good behavior of such alloys in simulated conditions, bacterial infections appear after the introduction of an implant into the body. The infections are typically caused by the adherence and colonization of bacteria on the surfaces of the implants. The study presents preparation and surface morphology characterization of coatings obtained via anodizing, as well as biomimetic coatings with hydroxyapatite and silver ions with and without antibiotic. The percentage inhibition of Escherichia coli bacteria growth was evaluated for each of the studied coating, and a Trojan-horse model of silver nanoparticles (nAg) antibacterial activity at interface was proposed. Such coatings could be more important taking into account that antibacterial treatments with antibiotics are becoming less effective due to their intensive use. (C) 2011, The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. All rights reserved.