Greater Osteoblast and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Adhesion and Proliferation on Titanium with Hydrothermally Treated Nanocrystalline Hydroxyapatite/Magnetically Treated Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

With an increasingly active and aging population, a growing number of orthopedic procedures are performed annually. However, traditional orthopedic implants face many complications such as infection, implant loosening, and poor host tissue integration leading to implant failure. Metal implant materials such as titanium and its alloys are widely used in orthopedic applications mainly based on their excellent mechanical properties and biological inertness. Since human bone extracellular matrix is nanometer in dimension comprised of rich nanostructured hydroxyapatite particles and collagen nanofibers, it is highly desirable to design a biologically-inspired nanostructured coating which renders the biocompatible titanium surface into a biomimetic and bioactive interface, thus enhancing osteoblast adhesion and promoting osseointegration. For this purpose, a biomimetic nanostructured coating based on nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite and single wall carbon nanotubes was designed. Specifically, nano hydroxyapatites with good crystallinity and biomimetic dimensions were prepared via a wet chemistry method and hydrothermal treatment. Microcrystalline hydroxyapatite with larger grain sizes can be obtained without hydrothermal treatment. The carbon nanotubes with different diameter and length were synthesized via an arc plasma method in the presence or absence of a magnetic field. Transmission electron microscopy images illustrate the regular, rod-like nanocrystalline and biomimetic nanostructure of hydrothermally treated nano hydroxyapatite. In addition, the length of carbon nanotubes can be significantly increased under external magnetic fields when compared to nanotubes produced without a magnetic field. More importantly, the in vitro study demonstrated for the first time that osteoblast and mesenchymal stem cell adhesion and proliferation were greater on titanium with hydrothermally treated nanocrystalline hydroxyapatites/magnetically treated carbon nanotubes, which suggests the potential of these novel nanostructured materials for orthopedic applications.