Advances in surface modification of tantalum and porous tantalum for rapid osseointegration: A thematic review

Abstract

After bone defects reach a certain size, the body can no longer repair them. Tantalum, including its porous form, has attracted increasing attention due to good bioactivity, biocompatibility, and biomechanical properties. After a metal material is implanted into the body as a medical intervention, a series of interactions occurs between the material’s surface and the microenvironment. The interaction between cells and the surface of the implant mainly depends on the surface morphology and chemical composition of the implant’s surface. In this context, appropriate modification of the surface of tantalum can guide the biological behavior of cells, promote the potential of materials, and facilitate bone integration. Substantial progress has been made in tantalum surface modification technologies, especially nano-modification technology. This paper systematically reviews the progress in research on tantalum surface modification for the first time, including physicochemical properties, biological performance, and surface modification technologies of tantalum and porous tantalum.

Tantalum as Trabecular Metal for Endosseous Implantable Applications

“…As proven both in vitro and in vivo [ 103 ], intrinsic bioactivity can be further improved by surface modifications, which can favor cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, eventually improving new bone growth. An exhaustive review on tantalum surface modifications was recently published by Wang et al [ 104 ]. Another interesting review paper addressed the physicochemical, mechanical, and biological features of porous tantalum for better performances in oral implantology [ 105 ].…”

Advances in reparative materials for infectious bone defects and their applications in maxillofacial regions

“…154,155 Moreover, the morphology of the material positively impacts cellular adhesion, osteogenic differentiation, mineralization, and osseointegration, signifying its potential in promoting osteogenesis. 156 To illustrate this point, 3D-printed titanium implants with porous structures modified for reconstructing maxillofacial segmental bone defects have shown improved osseointegration and this feature boosts the rapid integration of implants into bone tissue and stabilizes the reconstruction. 157 Based on the aforementioned findings, it can be inferred that appropriately modifying the surface of materials holds great potential in endowing them with both antimicrobial and osteogenic capabilities, thereby addressing the complex nature of infective bone defects in the craniofacial region.…”

Preparation, modification, and clinical application of porous tantalum scaffolds

“…Accordingly, numerous optimized surgical techniques have been applied to improve the osteogenic capacity of porous Ta rods such as the combined technique involving bone marrow extraction from the iliac crest (Emilios et al, 2015), BMSCs, and graft (Pakos et al, 2015;FIGURE 9 Tantalum activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, BMP signaling pathway, TGF-β signaling pathway, and integrin signaling pathway by promoting the expression of Wnt, BMP-2, TGF-β, and integrins. DVL: disheveled; BMP: bone morphogenic proteins; Smad: small mother against decapentaplegic; Runx2: runt-related transcription factor 2; TGF-β: transforming growth factor-beta; FAK: focal adhesion kinase; and ERK: extracellular signal regulated kinase (Wang et al, 2022). From Wang et al, 2022 (Figure 3) Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology frontiersin.org Zhao et al, 2015).…”

“… Tantalum activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, BMP signaling pathway, TGF-β signaling pathway, and integrin signaling pathway by promoting the expression of Wnt, BMP-2, TGF-β, and integrins. DVL: disheveled; BMP: bone morphogenic proteins; Smad: small mother against decapentaplegic; Runx2: runt-related transcription factor 2; TGF-β: transforming growth factor-beta; FAK: focal adhesion kinase; and ERK: extracellular signal regulated kinase ( Wang et al, 2022 ). From Wang et al, 2022 ( Figure 3 ) …”