In-vitro viability of laser cladded Fe-based metallic glass as a promising bioactive material for improved osseointegration of orthopedic implants

The commonly used metallic biomaterials fail to prove durability for orthopedics due to their lack of biocompatibility and poor bioactivity which weakens the bonding to bones. Metallic glasses (MGs) have attracted attention as an alternative biomaterial for orthopedics owing to their superior mechanical properties and acceptable biocompatibility. Nevertheless, their uses are limited due to geometrical constraints and brittleness. In this research, the in-vitro bioactivity of laser cladded FeCrMoCB MG on nickel-free stainless-steel was investigated. The proposed MG coating exhibited a remarkable in-vitro bioactivity behavior without prior treatment after immersion in simulated body fluid which is a key factor for better osseointegration. The surface morphology showed that apatite nucleated from the first day and completely covered the surface after 21 days. The energy dispersive spectroscopy spectra showed an increase in the Ca/P ratio from 0.51 at 3 days to 1.61 at 21 days, thus approaching the stoichiometric ratio of bone apatite. The infra-red examination revealed the existence of Ca+2, PO4-2 and OH- indicating the nucleation of brushite and B-type apatite. Additionally, the X-ray diffraction examination revealed the existence of amorphous and nanocrystalline calcium phosphates. These results show the potential of FeCrMoCB MGs as a promising bioactive coating for excellent osseointegration of metallic implants with bone tissue.