Short‐term microvascular response of striated muscle to cp‐Ti, Ti‐6Al‐4V, and Ti‐6Al‐7Nb

Abstract

Due to excellent mechanical properties and good corrosion resistance, titaniumaluminium-vanadium (Ti-6Al-4V) and titanium-aluminium-niobium (Ti-6Al-7Nb) are extensively used for orthopedic surgery. Concern has been voiced concerning the implications of the constituent vanadium in Ti-6Al-4V on the surrounding environment. Particularly in osteosynthesis where the alloys stand in direct contact to skeletal muscle, undesirable biologic reactions may have severe consequences. In a comparative study, we assessed in vivo nutritive perfusion and leukocytic response of striated muscle to the metals Ti-6Al-4V, Ti-6Al-7Nb, and commercially pure titanium (cp-Ti), thereby drawing conclusions on their short-term inflammatory potential. In 28 hamsters, utilizing the dorsal skinfold chamber preparation and intravital microscopy, we quantified primary and secondary leukocyte-endothelial cell interaction, leukocyte extravasation, microvascular diameter change, and capillary perfusion in collecting and postcapillary venules of skeletal muscle. A manifest discrepancy between the metals concerning impact on local microvascular parameters was not found. All metals induced an only transient and moderate inflammatory response. Only a slight increase in leukocyte recruitment and a more sluggish recuperation of inflammatory parameters in animals treated with Ti-6Al-4V compared to the other two metals suggested a minor, overall not significant discrepancy in biocompatibility. Gross toxicity of bulk Ti-6Al-4V on surrounding tissue could not be found. Conclusively, the commonly used biomaterials Ti-6Al-4V, Ti-6Al-7Nb, and cp-Ti induce an only transient inflammatory answer of the skeletal muscle microvascular system. Our results indicate that on the microvascular level the tested bulk Ti-alloys and cpTi do not cause adverse biologic reactions in striated muscle. ß

Human osteoblast-like cell spreading and proliferation on Ti-6Al-7Nb surfaces of varying roughness

“…Shimajo et al reported that human gingival fibroblasts similarly adhered, spread, and proliferated on Ti-6Al-7Nb and cpTi. In addition, shortterm in vivo implantation resulted in a transient inflammation response to Ti-6Al-7Nb that resembled the response to cpTi, with no obvious adverse biological effects (11,12). Our group previously reported that Ti-6Al-7Nb promoted better osteoblast-like cell spreading as compared with cpTi (13).…”

Functional role of inorganic trace elements in angiogenesis part III: (Ti, Li, Ce, As, Hg, Va, Nb and Pb)

“…Ti-6Al-4V activates monocytes and induces the release of the inflammatory mediator prostaglandin E2, IL-1, TNF-α, and IL-6 to a greater extent than Ti-6Al-7Nb [142]. In an in vivo study Ti-6Al-7Nb and cpTi induced slightly less inflammation than Ti-6Al-4V while both showed slight increase of microvascular permeability [143]. It was also declared that Ti- 6Al-4V particles implanted into the murine air pouch-model caused a reactive membrane inflammation, probably mediated by IL-6 [144].…”

Bone mesenchymal stem cell functions on the hierarchical micro/nanotopographies of the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy

“…23 Pennekamp et al reported that Ti-6Al-7Nb lowered the inflammatory response, which was analogous to pure Ti. 24 Interestingly, our results showed that the alkaline phosphatase activity on Ti-6Al-7Nb surfaces was much higher than that on pure Ti surfaces, which may attribute to the niobium element. 25 Our results have shown that the hierarchical micro/ nanotopographies of Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy were biocompatible on the functions of BMSC in vitro.…”