Developing bone implants with dynamic self-adjustment
of antibacterial,
angiogenic, and osteogenic functions in line with a bone regenerative
cascade is highly required in orthopedics. Herein, a unique core–shell
nanorods array featuring a thin layer of NiS coated on each SrTiO3 nanorod (NiS@SrTiO3) was in situ constructed on
titanium (Ti) through a two-step hydrothermal treatment. Under near-infrared
(NIR) irradiation, the photoresponsive effect of NiS layer in synergy
with the physical perforation of SrTiO3 nanorods initially
enabled in vitro antibacterial rates of 96.5% to Escherichia
coli and 93.1% to Staphylococcus aureus. With the degradation of the NiS layer, trace amounts of Ni ions
were released, which accelerated angiogenesis by upregulating the
expression of vascular regeneration-related factors, while the gradual
exposure of SrTiO3 nanorods could simultaneously enhance
the surface hydrophilicity in favor of cell adhesion and slowly release
Sr ions to promote the proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1
cells. The in vivo assessment verified not only the satisfactory antibacterial
effect but also the superior osteogenic ability of the NiS@SrTiO3/Ti group with the aid of NIR irradiation, finally promoting
the osseointegration of the Ti implant. The modification method endowing
Ti implant with antibacterial, angiogenic, and osteogenic functions
provides a new strategy to improve the long-term reliability of Ti-based
devices.