“…Functional coatings applied to titanium, magnesium, and aluminum alloys have been used extensively in implants because of their antimicrobial properties, predictable degradation behavior and biocompatibility, all of which reduce the risk of post-operative infections [1,3,8,12]. The use of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), also termed micro-arc oxidation (MAO), allows for coatings to have a carefully controlled composition, microstructure, porosity, and surface roughness for improved surface bioactivity [13] and corrosion resistance [12,14]. Coatings developed through MAO and embedded with inorganic antibacterial metal elements (e.g., silver, copper, and zinc) have been reported to reduce the incidence of implant-related infections, but the bioactivity and toxicity of these coatings is controversial [1,13,15,16].…”