Abstract
The objectives of this study are to evaluate long‐term wettability of novel surface‐engineered, clinically available dental implants, featuring a surface nanolayer of covalently linked hyaluronan, and to confirm the relationships between wetting properties and surface nanostructure and microstructure. Wettability measurements were performed on clinically available hyaluronan‐coated Grade 4 titanium implants, packaged and sterile, that is, in the “on the shelf” condition, after 1 year from production. Wetting properties were measured by the Wilhelmy plate method. Analysis of the surface structure and chemistry was perfomed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX) analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and ‐potential measurement, either on implants or disks or plates subjected to the same surface‐engineering process. Results show that hydrophilicity and ensuing capillary rise of the hyaluronan‐coated implant surface is unaffected by aging and dry storage. Chemical analysis of the implant surface by XPS and evaluation of the potential indicate that hyaluronan chemistry and not that of titanium dictates interfacial properties. Comparison between XPS versus EDX and SEM versus AFM data confirm that the thickness of the hyaluronan surface layer is within the nanometer range. Data show that nanoengineering of the implant surface by linking of the hydrophilic hyaluronan molecule endows tested titanium implants by permanent wettability, without need of wet storage as presently performed to keep long‐term hydrophilic implant surfaces. From an analytical point of view, the introduction in routine clinical practice of nanoengineered implant surfaces requires upgrading of analytical methods to the nanoscale.
Highlights
Ever since the expression of the Lampert rule for blood coagulation (Neubauer & Lampert, 1930), significant research effort has been devoted to the investigation of putative relationships between the deceivingly simple materials surface property called “wettability” and cell/tissue biological response
Of relevance for the present discussion, the detected ζ potential versus pH relationship is fairly typical of a very weak acid–base interfacial activity (Luxbacher, 2014), in the sense that it is not dictated by acid–base dissociation of chemical functionalities, but mostly by adsorption of ions contained in the solution (OH−, H3O+, Cl−, K+) as a function of pH
Prevention of hydrocarbon adsorption by wet storage (Baier & Meyer, 1988) or removal of adsorbed hydrocarbons by discharge techniques just before usage (Canullo et al, 2016; Choi et al, 2017a, 2017b) stop or reverse the natural trend and provide high‐ energy surfaces whose hydrophilicity is further enhanced by capillary wicking into grooves and pores
Summary
Ever since the expression of the Lampert rule for blood coagulation (Neubauer & Lampert, 1930), significant research effort has been devoted to the investigation of putative relationships between the deceivingly simple materials surface property called “wettability” and cell/tissue biological response (see Vogler, 2001, for a highly recommended review on the water wetting terminology and its usage in biomaterials science, and Rupp et al, 2014, for specific discussion on wettability of dental implant surfaces). Based on in vitro and in vivo evidences of better periimplant bone regeneration on high energy, or hydrophilic, titanium surfaces (Buser et al, 2004; Gittens et al, 2013; Park et al, 2012; Schwarz et al, 2007; Wennerberg et al, 2014), the SLActive concept was introduced in clinical practice (Chambrone, Shibli, Mercúrio, Cardoso, & Preshaw, 2015). The SLActive approach involves packaging of dental implants in saline solution, to preserve the freshly prepared microrough surface from contact with the atmosphere. It is based on knowledge developed by a prominent founding father of biomaterials surface science, Bob Baier, who discussed the concept of storage in water to preserve high‐energy surfaces of titanium dental implants in the 1980s and early 1990s (Baier & Meyer, 1988)
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