Porous Titanium Surfaces to Control Bacteria Growth: Mechanical Properties and Sulfonated Polyetheretherketone Coatings as Antibiofouling Approaches

Abstract

Here, titanium porous substrates were fabricated by a space holder technique. The relationship between microstructural characteristics (pore equivalent diameter, mean free-path between pores, roughness and contact surface), mechanical properties (Young’s modulus, yield strength and dynamic micro-hardness) and bacterial behavior are discussed. The bacterial strains evaluated are often found on dental implants: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The colony-forming units increased with the size of the spacer for both types of studied strains. An antibiofouling synthetic coating based on a sulfonated polyetheretherketone polymer revealed an effective chemical surface modification for inhibiting MRSA adhesion and growth. These findings collectively suggest that porous titanium implants designed with a pore size of 100–200 µm can be considered most suitable, assuring the best biomechanical and bifunctional anti-bacterial properties.

Synthesis and deposition of silver nanoparticles on porous titanium substrates for biomedical applications

“…In previous works, authors have already evaluated the bacterial behavior of porous Ti substrates with different proportions and sizes of pores [4], revealing a greater bacterial adhesion and proliferation in those samples with bigger pore size distribution. Similarly, they investigated a novel methodology to confer antimicrobial character to these Ti substrates by the application of SPEEK coatings [45,46]. On the other hand, various techniques have been applied with silver as the protagonist: thin films of Ag-SiO 2 nanocomposites of the sol gel type, materials of Ag / TiO 2 and AgNPs composites embedded in porous matrices [47,48].…”

Characterization and Monitoring of Titanium Bone Implants with Impedance Spectroscopy

“…The content, size, and morphology of the pores are responsible for the tribo-mechanical behavior (stiffness, hardness, mechanical strength, wear resistance, and scratch resistance) and corrosion resistance of porous titanium samples. On the other hand, it has been reported in the literature that pores with an adequate size allow the growth of bone tissue into the implant, as well as infiltration and adhesion of coatings [17,18], while optimal surface roughness facilitates the adhesion of osteoblasts (potential improvement of osseointegration). In this context, porous titanium parts manufactured with 50% vol.…”

Improved Corrosion Behavior and Biocompatibility of Porous Titanium Samples Coated with Bioactive Chitosan-Based Nanocomposites

“…In this section, a first detailed study on the morphology of the coatings is presented to evaluate the quality of the biopolymeric coatings on the porous substrates’ surfaces. (Details on the characterization of the porous substrates can be found in references [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]). Next, the influence of the pore content of titanium substrates and the chemical composition of the chitosan-based nanocomposite coatings on the corrosion resistance and cellular behavior (adhesion and proliferation of osteoblasts) are discussed.…”

“…On the other hand, although it has been previously reported that the walls of the pores obtained using the SH technique present a micro-scale roughness pattern that favors osteoblast adhesion [ 5 , 11 ], it is still necessary to implement superficial modification routes of the implants that improve osseointegration with the surrounding bone tissue. A detailed characterization of the porous substrates surfaces and the influence of the different porosities in balancing the mechanical properties and how it affects bacterial behavior can be found in our previous works [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”