Nanoscale Surface Modifications Research Articles

On the Use of Nanoparticles in Dental Implants.

Results obtained in physics, chemistry and materials science on nanoparticles have drawn significant interest in the use of nanostructures on dental implants. The main focus concerns nanoscale surface modifications of titanium-based dental implants in order to increase the surface roughness and provide a better bone-implant interfacial area. Surface coatings via the sol-gel process ensure the deposition of a homogeneous layer of nanoparticles or mixtures of nanoparticles on the titanium substrate. Nanotubular structures created on the titanium surface by anodic oxidation yield an interesting nanotopography for drug release. Carbon-based nanomaterials hold great promise in the field of dentistry on account of their outstanding mechanical properties and their structural characteristics. Carbon nanomaterials that include carbon nanotubes, graphene and its derivatives (graphene oxide and graphene quantum dots) can be used as coatings of the implant surface. Their antibacterial properties as well as their ability to be functionalized with adequate chemical groups make them particularly useful for improving biocompatibility and promoting osseointegration. Nevertheless, an evaluation of their possible toxicity is required before being exploited in clinical trials.

Effectiveness of nanoscale silicon dioxide-coated picker fingers on Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli

In poultry slaughtering, cross-contamination with Salmonella Enteritidis is a constant ongoing challenge. Interaction between food contact surfaces can potentially transfer pathogenic material like feces from carcasses to another one. One approach to break this chain is to modify surfaces that frequently come into contact with the animal during the slaughtering process. Surface alterations like nanoscale coatings have already been successfully applied in various fields to lower the bacterial load. The aim of the study was to compare bacterial attachment, proliferation and detachment of Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli on uncoated and on nanoscale silica coated rubber picker fingers at laboratory scale. It was shown that both target organisms did not adhere less to coated surface than to uncoated picker fingers, whereas no difference in bacterial growth or detachment was detected. It can be concluded that the coating used in this study did not contribute to a reduction of the bacterial load on this surface in the specific experimental setups employed. Further studies should focus on whether nanoscale surface modifications achieve improved results under more practical conditions and whether other factors such as surface durability can be influenced by a coating.Graphical abstract

Review of Antimicrobial Nanocoatings in Medicine and Dentistry: Mechanisms of Action, Biocompatibility Performance, Safety, and Benefits Compared to Antibiotics.

This review discusses topics relevant to the development of antimicrobial nanocoatings and nanoscale surface modifications for medical and dental applications. Nanomaterials have unique properties compared to their micro- and macro-scale counterparts and can be used to reduce or inhibit bacterial growth, surface colonization and biofilm development. Generally, nanocoatings exert their antimicrobial effects through biochemical reactions, production of reactive oxygen species or ionic release, while modified nanotopographies create a physically hostile surface for bacteria, killing cells via biomechanical damage. Nanocoatings may consist of metal nanoparticles including silver, copper, gold, zinc, titanium, and aluminum, while nonmetallic compounds used in nanocoatings may be carbon-based in the form of graphene or carbon nanotubes, or composed of silica or chitosan. Surface nanotopography can be modified by the inclusion of nanoprotrusions or black silicon. Two or more nanomaterials can be combined to form nanocomposites with distinct chemical or physical characteristics, allowing combination of different properties such as antimicrobial activity, biocompatibility, strength, and durability. Despite their wide range of applications in medical engineering, questions have been raised regarding potential toxicity and hazards. Current legal frameworks do not effectively regulate antimicrobial nanocoatings in matters of safety, with open questions remaining about risk analysis and occupational exposure limits not considering coating-based approaches. Bacterial resistance to nanomaterials is also a concern, especially where it may affect wider antimicrobial resistance. Nanocoatings have excellent potential for future use, but safe development of antimicrobials requires careful consideration of the "One Health" agenda, appropriate legislation, and risk assessment.

Enhanced Corrosion Resistance and Local Therapy from Nano-Engineered Titanium Dental Implants

Titanium is the ideal material for fabricating dental implants with favorable biocompatibility and biomechanics. However, the chemical corrosions arising from interaction with the surrounding tissues and fluids in oral cavity can challenge the integrity of Ti implants and leach Ti ions/nanoparticles, thereby causing cytotoxicity. Various nanoscale surface modifications have been performed to augment the chemical and electrochemical stability of Ti-based dental implants, and this review discusses and details these advances. For instance, depositing nanowires/nanoparticles via alkali-heat treatment and plasma spraying results in the fabrication of a nanostructured layer to reduce chemical corrosion. Further, refining the grain size to nanoscale could enhance Ti implants' mechanical and chemical stability by alleviating the internal strain and establishing a uniform TiO2 layer. More recently, electrochemical anodization (EA) has emerged as a promising method to fabricate controlled TiO2 nanostructures on Ti dental implants. These anodized implants enhance Ti implants' corrosion resistance and bioactivity. A particular focus of this review is to highlight critical advances in anodized Ti implants with nanotubes/nanopores for local drug delivery of potent therapeutics to augment osseo- and soft-tissue integration. This review aims to improve the understanding of novel nano-engineered Ti dental implant modifications, focusing on anodized nanostructures to fabricate the next generation of therapeutic and corrosion-resistant dental implants. The review explores the latest developments, clinical translation challenges, and future directions to assist in developing the next generation of dental implants that will survive long-term in the complex corrosive oral microenvironment.

Tuning foreign body response with tailor-engineered nanoscale surface modifications: fundamentals to clinical applications.

Biomaterials are omnipresent in today's healthcare services and are employed in various applications, including implants, sensors, healthcare accessories, and drug delivery systems. Unfavorable host immunological responses frequently jeopardize the efficacy of biomaterials. As a result, surface modification has received much attention in controlling inflammatory responses since it helps camouflage the biomaterial from the host immune system, influencing the foreign body response (FBR) from protein adsorption to fibrous capsule formation. Surfaces with controlled nanotopography and chemistry, among other surface modification methodologies, have effectively altered the immune response to biomaterials. However, the field is still in its early stages, with only a few studies showing a synergistic effect of surface chemistry and nanotopography on inflammatory and wound healing pathways. Therefore, this review will concentrate on the individual and synergistic effects of surface chemistry and nanotopography on FBR modulation and the molecular processes known to modulate these responses. This review will also provide insights into crucial research gaps and advancements in various tactics for modulating FBR, opening new paths for future research. This will further aid in improving our understanding of the immune response to biomaterials, developing advanced surface modification techniques, designing immunomodulatory biomaterials, and translating discoveries into clinical applications.

The path to a hemocompatible cardiovascular implant: Advances and challenges of current endothelialization strategies.

Cardiovascular (CV) implants are still associated with thrombogenicity due to insufficient hemocompatibility. Endothelialization of their luminal surface is a promising strategy to increase their hemocompatibility. In this review, we provide a collection of research studies and review articles aiming to summarize the recent efforts on surface modifications of CV implants, including stents, grafts, valves, and ventricular assist devises. We focus in particular on the implementation of micrometer or nanoscale surface modifications, physical characteristics of known biomaterials (such as wetness and stiffness), and surface morphological features (such as gratings, fibers, pores, and pits). We also review how biomechanical signals originating from the endothelial cell for surface interaction can be directed by topography engineering approaches toward the survival of the endothelium and its long-term adaptation. Finally, we summarize the regulatory and economic challenges that may prevent clinical implementation of endothelialized CV implants.

Nanostructuring of biomaterials and reducing implant related infections via incorporation of silver and copper as antimicrobial elements: an overview

ABSTRACT Metals play an essential role in biochemistry, and the use of metals for antimicrobial applications has been well studied. Biomaterials incorporating copper and silver demonstrated high antimicrobial activity while maintaining good cytocompatibility. In this overview, nanostructure processing is underscored as a method to overcome the shortcomings of conventional bioceramics. Restructuring crystalline structures at the nanoscale make it less susceptible to brittle fracture. Furthermore, the bioactivity of the material is significantly improved through nanoscale surface modifications such as coatings. The effectiveness of nanostructured biomaterials featuring copper and silver in combatting bacterial attachment and proliferation is described. Nanoscale copper-containing stainless steel achieved antimicrobial activity by disrupting bacterial metabolism and damaging bacterial membranes while providing a conducive environment for cellular proliferation. Copper-containing stainless steels can be used to prevent marine corrosion, food preservation and combat implant-related infections. It is envisaged that future antimicrobial strategies will continue to feature copper and silver nanostructured biomaterials prominently.

CMP as a Nano-Structuring Method for Titanium Based Bio-Implants

Nano-scale modification of macro-scale 3-dimensional implantable devices is gaining more attention as the cell attachment/detachment mechanisms at the bio-interfaces are profoundly affected by the nanoscale interfacial interactions [1]. Titanium based biomaterials are widely used for dental prostheses, orthopedic devices and cardiac pacemakers. Titanium and its alloys are most favored for hard tissue replacement due to their excellent mechanical properties and surface characteristics promoting biocompatibility due to spontaneous formation of a thick oxide layer in the presence of an oxidizer. This study focuses on the development of a three dimensional chemical mechanical nano-structuring (CMNS) process to induce smoothness or controlled nano-roughness on the bio-implant surfaces, particularly for an application on the dental implants. CMNS is an extension of the chemical mechanical polishing process. CMP is utilized in microelectronics manufacturing for planarizing the wafer surfaces to enable photolithography and multilayer metallization. In biomaterials applications, it has been shown that the same approach can be utilized to induce controlled surface nano-structure on 3-D implants to promote or demote cell attachment [2]. By tuning the polishing slurry particle size, solids loading and the chemical composition, both the chemical nature and the surface topography can be modified to make the surface very smooth or rough at nano-scale. This new technique helps produce implant surfaces that are cleaned from potentially contaminated surface layers by removing a nano-scale top layer while simultaneously creating a protective oxide film on the surface to limit any further contamination to minimize risk of infection [3]. As a synergistic method of nano-structuring on the implant surfaces, CMNS also modifies the mechanical properties on the implant surfaces and makes the titanium surface more adaptable for the bio-compatible coatings as well as the cells and tissue growth as demonstrated by the mechanical, electrochemical and biological evaluations. The ability of manipulating the surface nanostructure is also essential to understand the fibroblast and osteoblast cell attachment/detachment mechanisms on the implant surfaces to enable functionality of the implants whether the biocompatibility is a function of the cell attachment such as in the dental or prosthetic implants or limited attachment is needed for the functionality such as for the cardiac valves. Staruch, R, Griffin, M, Butler, P. Nanoscale surface modifications of orthopaedic implants: state of the art and perspectives. Open Orthop J 2016; 10: 920–938. Ozdemir, Z., Ozdemir, A., Basim, G.B. “Biomedical Applications of Chemical Mechanical Polishing”, Materials Science and Engineering - Part C., 68 (1), P 383-396, 2016. Ozdemir, Basim, G.B. "Effect of Chemical Mechanical Polishing on Surface Nature of Titanium Implants FT-IR and Wettability Data of Titanium Implants Surface After Chemical Mechanical Polishing Implementation," Data, in Brief, 10, P 20-25, 2017.

Nanopatterning surfaces by grazing incidence swift heavy ion irradiation

Nanopatterned surfaces play a key role for many applications exploiting unique features such as an enhanced surface area, long- and short-ranged morphology modulations or a spatial variation of electronic and chemical properties. Ion beam irradiation has been frequently used for nanostructuring bulk materials because it is efficient, fast, and cost-effective. In this paper we show that ion irradiation under extremely grazing incidence in conjunction with other scalable processing methods such as wet etching and thermal annealing, is a perfect tool for nanopatterning of dielectric surfaces. We demonstrate that by tuning ion energy and fluence, one can select different surface nanopattern morphologies like individual chains of nanohillocks, nanostripes, or nanoscaled ripples. Furthermore, chemical etching of the irradiated surface can be used to create a negative replica of the nanopattern as only the material making up the surface track is susceptible to the etching process and is thus removed. Also, a removal of the surface track can be achieved by thermal annealing in vacuum. All these presented strategies open up new ways for achieving control over nanoscale surface modifications using swift heavy ion beams.

Influence of Nanotopography on Early Bone Healing during Controlled Implant Loading

Nanoscale surface modifications influence peri-implant cell fate decisions and implant loading generates local tissue deformation, both of which will invariably impact bone healing. The objective of this study is to determine how loading affects healing around implants with nanotopography. Implants with a nanoporous surface were placed in over-sized osteotomies in rat tibiae and held stable by a system that permits controlled loading. Three regimens were applied: (a) no loading, (b) one daily loading session with a force of 1.5N, and (c) two such daily sessions. At 7 days post implantation, animals were sacrificed for histomorphometric and DNA microarray analyses. Implants subjected to no loading or only one daily loading session achieved high bone-implant contact (BIC), bone-implant distance (BID) and bone formation area near the implant (BFAt) values, while those subjected to two daily loading sessions showed less BFAt and BIC and more BID. Gene expression profiles differed between all groups mainly in unidentified genes, and no modulation of genes associated with inflammatory pathways was detected. These results indicate that implants with nanotopography can achieve a high level of bone formation even under micromotion and limit the inflammatory response to the implant surface.

Latest progress on nanotechnology aided boiling heat transfer enhancement: A review

Boiling heat transfer has drawn continuous attention owing to its wide range of applications in the energy fields. In the boiling process, the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) enhancement is needed for better energy conversion efficiency, and the critical heat flux (CHF) enhancement is needed to avoid boiling crises. With the advancement of nanotechnology, nanoscale surface modifications and nanofluids have shown great boiling enhancement potential. Furthermore, the coupled methods, which refer to the adoption of more than one method for boiling heat transfer enhancement, provide a novel way for possibly enhancing the HTC and CHF simultaneously. This work aims to provide the latest review of boiling enhancement using nanotechnology and its coupled methods. The nanotechnology-based methods on boiling enhancement including nanoscale modified surfaces and nanofluids are summarized. Furthermore, different coupled methods, including (a) hybrid nanofluids; (b) combined methods of using both nanofluid and surface modification; (c) bi-feature surfaces with multi-wettability (biphilic), multi-material, or multi-scale coating for surface modification, are discussed. Biphilic surfaces refer to surfaces with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. Multi-materials surfaces refer to surfaces adopting two coating materials in the fabrication process, and multi-scale surfaces refer to nano/micro-scale surfaces in this review. The CHF and the HTC enhancement of pool and flow boiling are discussed, and conclusions and recommendations for future work are presented.

High‐Resolution On‐Demand Nanostructures

By embedding a film of highly aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into a shape memory polymer (SMP), a fourfold increase in resolution of nanostructures raised on demand with a simple laser pointer is achieved. In the design of nanostructured compounds for micro‐optic and microfluidic lab‐on‐chip and security applications, the SMP's imprinted surface modifications act as the active part, while the CNT film aids their fabrication as an efficient broadband absorber converting light into thermal energy and initializing the polymer's shape memory effect. Due to its extraordinarily high thermal conductivity, the CNT film further acts as a highly efficient heat sink dissipating excess heat before it can blur the boundaries of the raised nanostructures’ region. A low‐cost fabrication method of those CNT–SMP compounds is presented and how the programming and recovery properties enable the production of nanoscale surface modifications with unprecedented simplicity, flexibility, and resolution is shown.

The influence of nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide on the initial adhesion of Streptococcus mitis and mutans.

The use of nanoscale surface modifications offers a possibility to regulate the bacterial adherence behavior. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide of different pore diameters on the bacterial species Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus mutans. Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) surfaces with an average pore diameter of 15 and 40 nm, polished pure titanium and compact aluminum oxide (alumina) samples as reference material were investigated. S. mitis and mutans were evaluated for initial adhesion and viability after an incubation period of 30 and 120 min. After 30 min a significantly reduced growth of S. mitis and mutans on 15 nm samples compared to specimens with 40 nm pore diameter, alumina and titanium surfaces could be observed (p < .001). Even after 120 min incubation there was a significant difference between the surfaces with 15 nm pore diameter and the remaining samples (p < .001). AAO surfaces with a small pore diameter have an inhibitory effect on the initial adhesion of S. mitis and mutans. The use of such pore dimensions in the area of the implant shoulder represents a possibility to reduce the adhesion behavior of these bacterial species.

Modulation of Cellular Colonization of Porous Polyurethane Scaffolds via the Control of Pore Interconnection Size and Nanoscale Surface Modifications.

Full-scale cell penetration within porous scaffolds is required to obtain functional connective tissue components in tissue engineering applications. For this aim, we produced porous polyurethane structures with well-controlled pore and interconnection sizes. Although the influence of the pore size on cellular behavior is widely studied, we focused on the impact of the size of the interconnections on the colonization by NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs). To render the material hydrophilic and allow good material wettability, we treated the material either by plasma or by polydopamine (PDA) coating. We show that cells weakly adhere on these surfaces. Keeping the average pore diameter constant at 133 μm, we compare two structures, one with LARGE (52 μm) and one with SMALL (27 μm) interconnection diameters. DNA quantification and extracellular matrix (ECM) production reveal that larger interconnections is more suitable for cells to move across the scaffold and form a three-dimensional cellular network. We argue that LARGE interconnections favor cell communication between different pores, which then favors the production of the ECM. Moreover, PDA treatment shows a truly beneficial effect on fibroblast viability and on matrix production, whereas plasma treatment shows the same effect for WJMSCs. We, therefore, claim that both pore interconnection size and surface treatment play a significant role to improve the quality of integration of tissue engineering scaffolds.

Surface nanocavitation of titanium modulates macrophage activity.

BackgroundNanoscale surface modifications are widely touted to improve the biocompatibility of medically relevant materials. Immune cells, such as macrophages, play a critical role in the initial healing events following implantation.MethodsTo understand the response of macrophages to nanotopography better, we exposed U937-derived macrophages to a distinctive mesoporous titanium surface (TiNano) produced by a process of simple chemical nanocavitation, and to mechanically polished titanium (TiPolished) and glass coverslip (Glass) surfaces as controls. Cell numbers and morphology were evaluated. Osteopontin expression and that of the proinflammatory SPARC protein and its stabilin 1 receptor were analyzed. Release of inflammation-associated cytokines and chemokines was also measured.ResultsCompared to the two control surfaces, there were fewer U937 cells on TiNano, and these exhibited a more rounded morphology with long filopodia. The cells showed areas of punctate actin distribution, indicating formation of podosomes. Of the three proteins examined, only osteopontin’s immunofluorescence signal was clearly reduced. Irrespective of the substrate, the cytokine assay revealed important variations in expression levels of the multiple molecules analyzed and downregulation in a number of chemokines by the TiNano surface.ConclusionThese results indicate that macrophages sense and respond to the physicochemical cueing generated by the nanocavitated surface, triggering cellular and molecular changes consistent with lesser inflammatory propensity. Given the previously reported beneficial outcome of this mesoporous surface on osteogenic activity, it could be presumed that modulation of the macrophagic response it elicits may also contribute to initial bone-integration events.

In situ characterization of enhanced thermal performance by periodic nanostructures on the surface of a microchannel

In situ formation of nanofins (i.e. isolated and dispersed precipitation of nanoparticles) on flow conduits induces changes to the surface morphology for heat exchange, increasing effective surface area and enhancing their cooling performance. Furthermore, the existence of these nanostructures has a significant influence on heat transfer, as opposed to the thermo-physical properties (e.g. thermal conductivity) of cooling fluids enhanced by addition of nanoparticles. This study conducted an in situ analysis exploring the effects of nanoscale surface modifications on forced convective heat transfer and thermal performance. A numerical heat transfer analysis, based on the conductive/convective heat transfer between a fin base and deionized water (DIW), was performed with the assumption that periodic nanostructures existed on the heated microchannel surface. Predictions of enhanced thermal performance (between 37% and 143%) from the resultant increase in the effective heat transfer area were validated for flows over these nanostructures (artificial nanofins) fabricated by SFIL (step and flash imprint lithography) inside a microchannel. Polydimethylsiloxane microchannels are bonded to a silicon wafer containing thin-film thermocouple arrays deposited onto artificial nanofins, which had been fabricated a priori for the in situ characterization of thermal performance. It was found that the convective heat transfer Nusselt number (Nu) increased from 61% to 110%. Additionally, a theoretical analysis of the pressure drop was also successfully achieved for a comprehensive understanding of the heat transfer characteristics at the fluid-wall interface of a microchannel.

Enhanced Macroconvection Mechanism With Separate Liquid–Vapor Pathways to Improve Pool Boiling Performance

Understanding heat transfer mechanisms is crucial in developing new enhancement techniques in pool boiling. In this paper, the available literature on fundamental mechanisms and their role in some of the outstanding enhancement techniques is critically evaluated. Such an understanding is essential in our quest to extend the critical heat flux (CHF) while maintaining low wall superheats. A new heat transfer mechanism related to macroconvection is introduced and its ability to simultaneously enhance both CHF and heat transfer coefficient (HTC) is presented. In the earlier works, increasing nucleation site density by coating a porous layer, providing hierarchical multiscale structures with different surface energies, and nanoscale surface modifications were some of the widely used techniques which relied on enhancing transient conduction, microconvection, microlayer evaporation, or contact line evaporation mechanisms. The microconvection around a bubble is related to convection currents in its immediate vicinity, referred to as the influence region (within one to two times the departing bubble diameter). Bubble-induced convection, which is active beyond the influence region on a heater surface, is introduced in this paper as a new macroconvection mechanism. It results from the macroconvection currents created by the motion of bubbles as they grow and depart from the nucleating sites along a specific trajectory. Directing these bubble-induced macroconvection currents so as to create separate vapor–liquid pathways provides a highly effective enhancement mechanism, improving both CHF and HTC. The incoming liquid as well as the departing bubbles in some cases play a major role in enhancing the heat transfer. Significant performance improvements have been reported in the literature based on enhanced macroconvection contribution. One such microstructure has yielded a CHF of 420 W/cm2 with a wall superheat of only 1.7 °C in pool boiling with water at atmospheric pressure. Further enhancements that can be expected through geometrical refinements and integration of different techniques with macroconvection enhancement mechanism are discussed here.

Synergistic effect of nanotopography and bioactive ions on peri-implant bone response.

Both bioactive ion chemistry and nanoscale surface modifications are beneficial for enhanced osseointegration of endosseous implants. In this study, a facile synthesis approach to the incorporation of bioactive Ca2+ ions into the interlayers of nanoporous structures (Ca-nano) formed on a Ti6Al4V alloy surface was developed by sequential chemical and heat treatments. Samples with a machined surface and an Na+ ion-incorporated nanoporous surface (Na-nano) fabricated by concentrated alkali and heat treatment were used in parallel for comparison. The bone response was investigated by microcomputed tomography assessment, sequential fluorescent labeling analysis, and histological and histomorphometric evaluation after 8 weeks of implantation in rat femurs. No significant differences were found in the nanotopography, surface roughness, or crystalline properties of the Ca-nano and Na-nano surfaces. Bone–implant contact was better in the Ca-nano and Na-nano implants than in the machined implant. The Ca-nano implant was superior to the Na-nano implant in terms of enhancing the volume of new bone formation. The bone formation activity consistently increased for the Ca-nano implant but ceased for the Na-nano implant in the late healing stage. These results suggest that Ca-nano implants have promising potential for application in dentistry and orthopedics.

Nanoscale Surface Modifications of Orthopaedic Implants: State of the Art and Perspectives.

Background:Orthopaedic implants such as the total hip or total knee replacement are examples of surgical interventions with postoperative success rates of over 90% at 10 years. Implant failure is associated with wear particles and pain that requires surgical revision. Improving the implant - bone surface interface is a key area for biomaterial research for future clinical applications. Current implants utilise mechanical, chemical or physical methods for surface modification.Methods:A review of all literature concerning the nanoscale surface modification of orthopaedic implant technology was conducted.Results:The techniques and fabrication methods of nanoscale surface modifications are discussed in detail, including benefits and potential pitfalls. Future directions for nanoscale surface technology are explored.Conclusion:Future understanding of the role of mechanical cues and protein adsorption will enable greater flexibility in surface control. The aim of this review is to investigate and summarise the current concepts and future directions for controlling the implant nanosurface to improve interactions.

Nanoscale Surface Modifications of Medical Implants for Cartilage Tissue Repair and Regeneration.

Background: Natural cartilage regeneration is limited after trauma or degenerative processes. Due to the clinical challenge of reconstruction of articular cartilage, research into developing biomaterials to support cartilage regeneration have evolved. The structural architecture of composition of the cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) is vital in guiding cell adhesion, migration and formation of cartilage. Current technologies have tried to mimic the cell’s nanoscale microenvironment to improve implants to improve cartilage tissue repair.Methods: This review evaluates nanoscale techniques used to modify the implant surface for cartilage regeneration.Results: The surface of biomaterial is a vital parameter to guide cell adhesion and consequently allow for the formation of ECM and allow for tissue repair. By providing nanosized cues on the surface in the form of a nanotopography or nanosized molecules, allows for better control of cell behaviour and regeneration of cartilage. Chemical, physical and lithography techniques have all been explored for modifying the nanoscale surface of implants to promote chondrocyte adhesion and ECM formation.Conclusion: Future studies are needed to further establish the optimal nanoscale modification of implants for cartilage tissue regeneration.