Simulated Body Fluid Treatment Research Articles

Calcium silicate biocomposites: effects of selenium oxide on the physico-mechanical features and their in-vitro biological assessments

Bone tissue regenerative material serves as a prospective recovery candidate with self-adaptable biological properties of bio-activation, degradability, compatibility, and antimicrobial efficacy instead of metallic implants. Such materials are highly expensive due to chemical reagents and complex synthesis procedures, making them unaffordable for patients with financial constraints. This research produced an efficient bone tissue regenerative material using inexpensive naturally occurring source materials, including silica sand and limestone. The extracted SiO2 and CaO particles (75:25 wt%) were subjected to hydrothermal synthesis (water treatment instead of chemical solvents) to produce the CaSiO3 biomaterial (code: S). Selenium oxide was doped with calcium silicate at 3, 5, and 10 wt.% to enhance its properties, yielding biocomposite materials (i.e. S3, S5, and S10). The physico-mechanical properties of these materials were investigated with x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, FESEM-EDS, and micro-universal testing machine. The results revealed that the synthesized biocomposites have a crystalline wollastonite phase with a porously fused rough surface. From structural parametric calculations, we found that the biocomposites have reduced particle size and enhanced surface area due to the influence of selenium oxide. The biocomposite S10, having high SeO2 content, attained the maximum compressive strength of 75.2 MPa. In-vitro studies of bioactivity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and antibacterial activity were performed. At 7 and 14 d of bioactivity, the synthesized biocomposites are capable of dissolving their ions into simulated body fluid (SBF) solution to precipitate hydroxyapatite and a required Ca/P ratio of 1.69 was achieved by S3. A comparative analysis has been performed on the degradation activity in Tris-HCl and the consequent pH changes during SBF treatment. The bio-analysis revealed that the biocomposite S3 shows enhanced bioactivity through a controlled degradation rate and secured cell viability of 88% at a concentration of 100 μg ml−1. It also offers significant bacterial inhibition potency against E.coli and S.aureus bacteria.

Biomineralization of carboxymethyl cellulose-sodium alginate infused with cellulose nanocrystals for bone regeneration

The development of novel tissue constructs from both natural and synthetic biopolymers has attracted widespread attention among researchers, prior to its excellent outcomes in bone tissue regeneration. This research aims to investigate the biocompatibility of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/sodium alginate (SA) embedded with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and its surface response due to the biomineralization process as potential implant material. The CMC/SA were prepared with and without CNC using water as the only solvent. It was then freeze-dried for up to 72 h before being further immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for comparative studies. Morphological observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that CMC/SA/CNC (SBF) displayed a spherical apatite structure amid interconnected porous materials with an average particle diameter between 95 and 148 nm. The apatite crystal indicated the existence of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) elements, which was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). All scaffolds showed a porosity of up to 90.13% with a moderate degradation rate and a water absorption value of up to 1100%. Overall, all scaffolds had open, interconnected pore sizes ranging from 40 to 400 µm. Attenuated total reflection – Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curve showed a new existing peak and lower decomposition rate, respectively, for SBF-treated scaffolds. Stress-strain curve disclosed the highest tensile stress of CMC/SA/CNC (SBF) at 16.2 MPa and 15.75% strain effect. Preliminary in vitro cytotoxicity studies performed with human foetal osteoblast (hFOB) cells showed that cytocompatibility was more evident on CMC/SA/CNC (SBF) scaffolds. This study showed that scaffold-embedded CNC with SBF treatment could be hit upon as material selection for bone tissue engineering.

Comprehensive In Vivo and In Vitro Studies for Evaluating the Bone-Bonding Ability of Na2O–CaO–SiO2–B2O3–Ag2O Glasses for Fracture Healing Applications

In the present investigation, Na2O–CaO–SiO2–B2O3–Ag2O glasses were prepared using the traditional melt-quenching process, with Ag2O content progressively raised from 0 to 4 wt.%, at the expense of B2O3, in the chemical composition of these glasses. The created glasses’ physical, mechanical and electrical characteristics were measured. The bone bonding capacity of the as-prepared specimens was evaluated not only by in vitro studies with treatment in simulated body fluid but also by in vivo studies using the albino rat model at different time intervals up to 28 days. The obtained findings revealed that increasing the Ag2O content gradually improved the fracture toughness of the samples by approximately 3.94, 11.84, 27.63, 50%, but fortunately with slight decreases in the microhardness, i.e. 1.02, 2.73, 8.90 and 16.43% and other mechanical properties. All samples had electrical conductivities of 2.36, 2.65, 2.84, 3.59, and 4.23 × 10‒5 S/m when the frequency was 1 MHz, compared to 1.36, 1.58, 1.72, 2.10, and 2.42 × 10‒4 S/m for the same samples at 20 MHz. Furthermore, the addition of Ag2O had a favorable function in improving the bioactivity of the glass samples, as evidenced by in vitro and in vivo data, and no cytotoxicity was seen. Based on these attractive findings, it is possible that the produced glass samples would be suitable for orthopedic applications at load-bearing-sites.Graphical

Physicochemical property and cytocompatibility of HyA-PEG loaded PMMA based bone cement

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) has been widely used as a biomaterial for orthopedic applications. However, the major complications of this bone cement are the increased fracture rate of the adjacent vertebral bodies and the elevated polymerization temperature. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PMMA bone cement in the presence of gel phase in terms of superior mechanical and cellular characteristics. Porous PMMA cement was prepared by using a Hyaluronic acid (HyA) and Polyethyleneglycol (PEG) which act as an aqueous gel phase and provide a major contribution for pore formation. Simulated body fluid (SBF) treatment on cements showed the compressive strength and elastic modulus of PMMA-10%HyA-10%PEG was significantly decreased from ∼22 MPa to ∼16 MPa and ∼159 MPa to ∼135 respectively. The degradation behaviour results revealed after SBF treatment showed porous formation. In addition, aqueous gel reduced the polymerization temperature from ∼63 °C to ∼52 °C. The aqueous gel phase did not affect apatite formation and maintained nearly physiological pH. Further in-vitro cellular activities ensured the biocompatibility and osteogenic potential of PMMA-10%HyA-10%PEG. These results suggest that PMMA-10%HyA-10%PEG bone cements possess distinctive mechanical and physicochemical properties, and are suitable cement for cellular functionalities.

Evaluation of the electrical and dielectric behavior of the apatite layer formed on the surface of hydroxyapatite/hardystonite/copper oxide hybrid nanocomposites for bone repair applications

The work aimed to prepare nanocomposites with good electrical and mechanical properties and acceptable bioactivity behavior to be suitable for bone repair applications. In this context, hydroxyapatite (HA) and hardystonite (HT) were prepared by mechanochemical synthesis method. Subsequently, nanocomposites of different contents of HA, HT and copper oxide (CuO) were prepared, sintered and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, bioactivity was evaluated in vitro after treatment in simulated body fluid (SBF) and HA layer formation was confirmed by SEM in conjunction with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The electrical and dielectric properties were measured before and after treatment in SBF solution. Elastic and physical properties were also measured. The results clarified that the sintering temperature used along with the successive increase of HT and CuO contents achieved good densification behavior and better mechanical properties, especially compressive strength, to avoid the stress-shielded bone effect. Also, HT and CuO positively enhanced the electrical conductivity and reduced the dielectric properties of nanocomposites prepared. The latter results have a great role in promoting fracture healing. Based on the above results, the prepared nanocomposites are promising for potential use in bone repair applications.

Porous silicon nitride for scaffold material by direct forming with protective gelling

Porous Si3N4 substrate for scaffold is prepared by the direct foaming process that is modified by introducing a protective gelling agent (PGA) combined with quench-freezing technique in this work. Nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) is deposited onto the as-prepared substrate. The adhesion strength of the deposited nHA is evaluated with ultrasonic vibration method and the bioactivity of the pristine porous silicon nitride and that with nHA coating (nHA-coated Si3N4) are assessed by simulated body fluid (SBF) treatment along with in vitro cell culture experiments. The results indicate that compared with conventional direct foaming method, the introducing of PGA combined with quench-freezing significantly enhances the stability of foams and lowers the standard deviation of pore size distribution, leading to improved strength and reliability of the porous Si3N4 substrates. It is also found that the adhesion strength of the nHA coating is relatively low as shown by mass loss experiment with an ultrasonic cleaning device. The results of SBF treatment and in vitro cell culture experiment demonstrate that the pristine porous silicon nitride exhibits considerable bioactivity comparable to that with nHA coating.

Enhance corrosion behavior of AZ31 magnesium alloy by tailoring the anodic oxidation time followed by heat treatment in simulated body fluid

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of anodizing time and heat treatment on morphology, phase and corrosion resistance of formed coating. To characterize the anodic oxide layer, X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) that was equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was hired. The corrosion behavior of oxide-coated samples was estimated by electrochemical polarization test in simulated body fluid (SBF). Design/methodology/approach Anodic oxidation method is applied to reinforce the corrosion and biological properties of biomaterials in the biomedical industry. In this paper, the alkaline NaOH (1 M) electrolyte was used for AZ31 magnesium alloy anodizing accompanied by heat treatment in the air. Findings It can be concluded that the best corrosion resistance belongs to the 10 min anodic oxidized sample and among the heat-treated samples the 30 min anodized sample represented the lowest corrosion rate. Originality/value In this study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge for the first time, this paper describes the effect of anodizing process time on NaOH (1 M) electrolyte at 3 V on corrosion behavior of magnesium AZ31 alloy with an alternate method to change the phase composition of the formed oxide layer. The morphology and composition of the obtained anodic oxide layer were investigated under the results of SEM, EDS and XRD. The corrosion behavior of the oxide coatings layer fabricated on the magnesium-based substrate was studied by the potentiodynamic polarization test in the SBF solution.

In Vitro Study of Octacalcium Phosphate Behavior in Different Model Solutions

Octacalcium phosphate (OCP), a new-generation bone substitute material, is a considered precursor of the biological bone apatite. The two-layered structure of OCP contains the apatitic and hydrated layers and is intensively involved in ion-exchange surface reactions, which results in OCP hydrolysis to hydroxyapatite and adsorption of ions or molecular groups presented in the environment. During various in vitro procedures, such as biomaterial solubility, additive release studies, or the functionalization technique, several model solutions are applied. The composition of the environmental solution affects the degree and rate of OCP hydrolysis, its surface reactivity, and further in vitro and in vivo properties. The performed study was aimed to track the structural changes of OCP-based materials while treating in the most popular model solutions of pH values 7.2–7.4: simulated body fluid (SBF), Dulbecco’s phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS), supersaturated calcification solution (SCS), normal saline (NS), and Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM). Various degrees of OCP hydrolysis and/or precipitate formation were achieved through soaking initial OCP granules in the model solutions. Detailed data of X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma, and scanning electron microscopy are presented. Cultivation of osteosarcoma cells was implemented on OCP pre-treated in DMEM for 1–28 days. It was shown that NS mostly degraded the OCP structure. DPBS slightly changed the OCP structure during the first treatment term, and during further terms, the crystals got thinner and OCP hydrolysis took place. Treatment in SBF and SCS caused the precipitate formation along with OCP hydrolysis, with a larger contribution of SCS solution to precipitation. Pre-treating in DMEM enhanced the cytocompatibility of materials. As a result, on performing the in vitro procedures, careful selection of the contact solution should be made to avoid the changes in materials structure and properties and get adequate results.

Superparamagnetic Manganese Ferrite and Strontium Bioactive Glass Nanocomposites: Enhanced Biocompatibility and Antimicrobial Properties for Hyperthermia Application

Herein, the strontium bioactive glass with ferrite composites is studied for the application of biocompatibility and magnetic hyperthermia. The bioactive glass SrBG (46.1SiO2–21.9CaO–24.4Na2O–2.6P2O5–5SrO) prepared by the melt quench technique at 1400 °C and manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) prepared by the modified microwave reflux oven are mixed together and sintered at 400 °C for 6 h for making composites. The in vitro bioactivity of these composites is observed by immersing in simulated body fluid (SBF). The growth of the precipitated hydroxyapatite phase observed after SBF treatment is confirmed by the X‐ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) results. The in vitro cell viability assessment of these composites with MG‐63 cell lines indicates that the composites are biocompatible in nature. Furthermore, these composites show the antibacterial effect on the E. coli and S. Aureus bacteria cells. The room temperature superparamagnetic behavior accompanied by the heating ability in these composites proves their potential role for hyperthermia applications.

Silk as templates for hydroxyapatite biomineralization: A comparative study of Bombyx mori and Antheraea pernyi silkworm silks

Silk is extensively investigated in bone tissue engineering due to its extraordinary mechanical properties and ability to regulate biomineralization. Protein templates regulate biomineralization process through chemical interaction with ions. However, the effect of structural differences in silk fibroin on biomineralization has not been studied in detail. In this study, Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (ASF) and Bombyx mori silk fibroin (BSF) fibers were used as templates to study the effect of silk species on biomineralization. The results showed that silk fibroin could induce the formation of calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite in simulated body fluid (SBF), and the SBF treatment resulted in the formation of silk I crystals. Compared with BSF, ASF exhibited a higher ability to induce mineralization, which may depend on the differences in hydrophilic amorphous fractions between ASF and BSF. The amorphous fractions of ASF contain more acidic amino acids, which can provide more nucleation sites in the initial stage of mineralization, resulting in faster mineralization process and more mineral deposits. This study decodes the key role of silk fibroin fractions on biomineralization, and provides deeper insights for the study of silk fibroin as biomineralization template and bone repair materials.

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Modified Porous Ca5(PO4)2SiO4 Bioceramics: Structural, Morphologic and Bioactivity Analysis

Bioceramics are class of biomaterials that are specially developed for application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicines. Sol-gel method used for producing bioactive and reactive bioceramic materials more than those synthesized by traditional methods. In the present research study, the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on Ca5(PO4)2SiO4 (CPS) bioceramics was investigated. The addition of 5% and 10% PEG significantly affected the porosity and bioactivity of sol-gel derived Ca5(PO4)2SiO4. The morphology and physicochemical properties of pure and modified materials were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. The effect of PEG on the surface area and porosity of Ca5(PO4)2SiO4 was measured by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The results obtained from XRD and FTIR studies confirmed the interactions between PEG and CPS. Due to the high concentration of PEG, the CPS-3 sample showed the largest-sized particle with an average of 200.53 µm. The porous structure of CPS-2 and CPS-3 revealed that they have a better ability to generate an appetite layer on the surface of the sample when immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for seven days. The generation of appetite layer showed the bioactive nature of CPS which makes it a suitable material for hard tissue engineering applications. The results have shown that the PEG-modified porous CPS could be a more effective material for drug delivery, implant coatings and other tissue engineering applications. The aim of this research work is to fabricate SBF treated and porous polyethylene glycol-modified Ca5(PO4)2SiO4 material. SBF treatment and porosity of material can provide a very useful target for bioactivity and drug delivery applications in the future.

Effects of Medium pH and Preconditioning Treatment on Protein Adsorption on 45S5 Bioactive Glass Surfaces

AbstractProtein adsorption on 45S5 bioactive glass (BG, Bioglass) surfaces influences the biocompatibility of Bioglass and the cellular response to the material. The medium pH greatly affects protein adsorption behavior. However, the influence of pH variation on protein adsorption on Bioglass has not been investigated in detail before, although an acidifying pH has been observed in fractured or injured bone tissues. This study investigates how the medium pH (pH 7, 5, and 2) affects protein (serum albumin) adsorption on Bioglass with or without preconditioning in simulated body fluid (SBF). The results show that Bioglass can adsorb a larger amount of bovine serum albumin (BSA) than bioinert glasses at all tested pHs. The BSA adsorption on Bioglass surfaces is pH‐dependent and a larger amount of adsorbed BSA is observed at lower pH (5 and 2). After preconditioning, BSA adsorption is significantly enhanced. However, the trend of pH‐dependent adsorption is attenuated. No significant difference in BSA adsorption is observed at different pHs after preconditioning. The results reveal for the first time the influence of medium pH on protein adsorption on Bioglass with or without preconditioning treatment in SBF, which provides useful information for developing Bioglass based biomedical devices that will be in contact with protein‐containing physiological fluids during applications.

Surface properties of calcium aluminate cement blends for bone repair applications

Surface composition and its roughness affect the interactions that induce bone tissue growth in a biomaterial. Irregular surfaces result in better bone fixation than smoother ones, indicating that this feature might have a direct influence on osteoblast adhesion. In this paper, some surface properties of calcium aluminate cement (CAC)-based blends were evaluated, compared to commercial products as mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and polimetylmethacrylate (PMMA) as a reference. Roughness was measured by profilometry using samples without or with SBF (simulated body fluid) treatment for 21 days. The collagen samples, MTA and PMMA, presented higher roughness values before SBF treatment. After SBF exposure, all samples except those with PMMA showed an increase in roughness, especially the MTA ones. Cell adhesion was observed by SEM after contact with mesenchymal cell cultures. The latter adhered to the sample's surface pointing out their biocompatibility. Finally, the interactions of samples with culture medium (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium = DMEM) were measured for periods of 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days. The sample surfaces were evaluated by SEM, EDX, FTIR and XRD. After the contact of samples with culture medium, the calcium concentration was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. All CAC-based blends and mainly MTA presented precipitation after treatment with DMEM, which was characterized as calcium phosphate and mainly calcium carbonate.

Role of magnesium and aluminum substitution on the structural properties and bioactivity of bioglasses synthesized from biogenic silica

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of magnesium (1 wt%) and aluminum (1 wt%) incorporation on the in vitro bioactivity and biodegradation behavior of 45S5 bioactive glasses synthesized from rice husk biogenic silica. The performance of biogenic silica-based samples was compared well with commercial silica-based counterparts. The in vitro biodegradation behavior of bioactive glasses was evaluated by the weight loss of samples and pH variation in the Tris buffer solution. Based on composition, bioglasses possessed different properties before and after simulated body fluid (SBF) immersion. The incorporation of magnesium (Mg) and aluminum (Al) enhanced the Vickers hardness of bioglasses. All the bioglasses showed the hydroxyapatite layer formation after SBF treatment as confirmed by the dissolution, FTIR, SEM and XRD analysis, however it was more prominent in the rice husk silica-based 45S5 bioglass. The biogenic silica seems to be a promising starting material for bioglass systems to be used in bone tissue engineering applications.

Fabrication of bioactive titanium and its alloys by combination of doubled sandblasting process and alkaline simulated body fluid treatment

Fabrication of bioactive titanium and its alloys by combination of doubled sandblasting process and alkaline simulated body fluid treatment

Polylactic acid/sodium alginate/hydroxyapatite composite scaffolds with trabecular tissue morphology designed by a bone remodeling model using 3D printing

The article presents a new methodology that employs 3D printing technology to generate a microporous composite material of polylactic acid, sodium alginate and hydroxyapatite, whose microstructure is designed by means of the 3D numerical solution from a mathematical model. This model represents the spatio-temporal dynamics of the interaction between osteoblasts and osteoclasts in the bone remodeling. The microporosity of composite material mimics the structure of human trabecular bone. This material has density with microporosity pretty close to the one that is exhibited by the natural bone tissue. Close relationship between the material processing and its elasticity module is observed. When subjecting this composite material to a simulated body fluid treatment, the mechanical resistance to compression is increased due to induced mineralization of hydroxyapatite crystals on its surface. The methodology shows potential to generate structures that allow the control of the composite material properties. The material presents a microporosity that has morphological and chemical properties suitable for future applications in tissue engineering as bone scaffold.

Effect of Doubled Sandblasting Process and Basic Simulated Body Fluid Treatment on Fabrication of Bioactive Stainless Steels.

In our recent study, we aimed to impart hydroxyapatite (HA)-forming to bioinert stainless steels (SUS316L). The surfaces of SUS316L specimen were treated by a sandblasting process using alumina grinding particles with 14.0 or 3.0 μm for average particle size, respectively. In addition, a doubled sandblasting process (DSP) using the 14.0 μm particles and subsequently 3.0 μm ones were also conducted. Compared with the case of the 14.0 μm particles, the 3.0 μm particles were available to increase the surface roughness and the surface area of the specimen. Moreover, these values were further increased in the case of the DSP. These specimens were soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF) at pH = 8.4, 25 °C and were directly heated in the solution by electromagnetic induction. By this treatment, formation of CaP was induced on each specimen. These materials performed high HA-forming ability in SBF. Average bonding strength of the HA film formed on them in SBF was increased depending on the increase of surface roughness and surface area. These results indicated that sandblasting condition was an important factor to improve interlocking effect related to the increase of the surface roughness and the surface area.

The significant influence of ionic concentrations and immersion temperatures on deposition behaviors of hydroxyapatite on alkali- and heat-treated titanium in simulated body fluid

Biomimetic deposition of apatite in simulated body fluid (SBF) in vitro has been widely used to evaluate the bioactivity of titanium (Ti) and prepare a functional coating on biomedical metallic substrates. In this study, the deposition behaviors of hydroxyapatite (HA) on Ti samples treated by alkali and heat treatment (AH) in SBFs (1×, 2×, 3× SBF) at 37, 47 and 57°C were researched. The electrochemical results confirmed the characteristic fine and porous network structure on Ti substrate after AH resulted in the decrease of corrosion resistance. SEM images showed that the surface structure and morphology of hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings varied markedly under different soaking conditions. Particularly, high SBF concentrations and immersion temperatures created more homogeneous and dense deposited layers with uniform large spherical HA agglomerates. The results of XRD and FTIR demonstrated that brushite (the precursor of HA) preferentially formed and gradually transformed into HA in SBF with high ion concentration and temperature. Thermodynamic analysis in terms of nucleation and crystal growth mechanism was proposed to fundamentally explain HA deposition process in vitro. This work provides a potential method to rapidly evaluate the bioactivity of Ti-based biomaterials and prepare controlled bioactive coating on the implants.

Effects of TiO2 on microstructural, mechanical properties and in-vitro bioactivity of plasma sprayed yttria stabilised zirconia coatings for dental application

One of the most compatible coatings, known as yttria-stabilised zirconia polycrystal (YZP) is deposited on metallic Ti alloys due to its excellent hardness and aesthetic value as well as its low affinity for plaques. However, poor bioactivities of YZP and the existence of micro crack propagations due to the aging of YZP may result in spontaneous implant failure thus limiting its clinical use. In this work, YZP coating reinforced titania (TiO2), which is formed via a plasma spray technique was investigated in order to enhance the bioactivity and the mechanical properties of YZP coatings for dental implants. Based on microstructural studies performed on the deposited coating, a distinguished lamellar structure comprising YZP and TiO2 was observed. It was found that the reinforcement of TiO2 in YZP coating significantly reduced the crack due to the improved densities and the lamellar structure. The mechanical properties were also found to improve with 90% of hardness, 45% of adhesion strength and 54% of Young's Modulus with TiO2 addition, which is desirable for dental implants. An in-vitro bioactivity test was then conducted by immersing the coatings in a simulated body fluid (SBF). As a result, an apatite formation was found on the YZP/TiO2 coating surface after 3 days of immersion. Besides, it was verified in an XRD analysis that the crystalline TiO2 was found in a rutile phase which was highly effective in generating apatite (natural mineral in human bones) on YZP coatings, proving that the bioactivities of the coating were significantly improved. Further studies were also performed on the SBF treatment, which took up to 14 days also demonstrated that only a small decrease in hardness was noted, indicating that YZP/TiO2 coatings had reached an excellent mechanical stability.

Plasma spraying of bioactive glass-ceramics containing bovine bone

Natural bone derived glass-ceramics are promising biomaterials for implants. However, due to their price and weak mechanical properties they are preferably applied as coatings on load bearing implants. This paper describes result obtained by plasma spraying of bioactive glass-ceramics containing natural bone onto selected implant materials, such as stainless steel, alumina, and titanium alloy. Adhesion of plasma sprayed coating was tested by computed X-ray tomography and SEM of cross sections. The results showed defect free interface between the coating and substrate, without cracks or gaps. Dissolution rate of the coating in simulated body fluid (SBF) was readily controlled by the bone additives (phase composition), as well as microstructure. The SBF treatment of the plasma sprayed coating did not influence the boundary between the coating and substrate.