Biological activity of nanostructured metallic materials for biomedical applications

Abstract

The successful integration of a biomedical device is governed by the surface properties of the material and also depends on the interaction with the physiological fluid. In this regard, bulk nanostructured materials are recently being recognised as potential implant materials alternative to conventional materials. The potential application of such next generation materials as biomedical implants has recently been evaluated by investigating the effect of wide range of grain sizes on multiple cell activities. In this review, recent advances in biomedical applications of bulk nanostructured materials are highlighted with special focus on the effect of phase reversion-induced nanograined size on protein adsorption and cell–material interactions. Furthermore, the effect of grain structure on antimicrobial effect is also discussed. Osteoblasts functions and cellular activity are promoted on the nanostructured surface in relation to the coarse-grained counterpart. Finally, the advantages of phase reversion approach to produce multifunctional bio-implant materials are addressed.