Structural Characterization and Osseointegrative Properties of Pulsed Laser-Deposited Fluorinated Hydroxyapatite Films on Nano-Zirconia for Implant Applications

Abstract

Standard zirconia implants used in restoration still present problems related to inertness and long-term stability. Various physicochemical approaches have been used to modify the implant surfaces to improve early and late bone-to-implant integration; however, no ideal surface modification has been reported. This study used pulsed laser deposition to deposit a fluorinated hydroxyapatite (FHA) film on a zirconia implant to create a biologically active surface. The film prepared was uniform, dense, and crack-free, and exhibited granular surface droplets; it also presented excellent mechanical strength and favorable biological behavior. The FHA-coated implant was implanted on the femur of Sprague–Dawley rats, and various tests and analyses were performed. Results show that the in vitro initial cell activity on the FHA-coated samples was enhanced. In addition, higher alkaline phosphatase activity and cell mineralization were detected in cells cultured on the FHA-coated groups. Further, the newly formed bone volume of the FHA-coated group was higher than that of the bare micro-adjusted composite nano-zirconia (NANOZR) group. Therefore, the FHA film facilitated osseointegration and may improve the long-term survival rates of dental implants, and could become part of a new treatment technology for implant surfaces, promoting further optimization of NANOZR implant materials.

Laser-assisted surface alloying of titanium with silver to enhance antibacterial and bone-cell mineralization properties of orthopedic implants

“…Previous studies have shown that laser surface treatment leads to a rapid temperature rise and cooling which can result in the predominant formation of a-Ti phase of a thin layer on the surface, a brittle layer consisting of a-phase Ti with an oxygenrich content. 44,45 However, our results demonstrate that Ti6Al4V after AgNP coating followed by laser surface treatment contain a high percentage of b-Ti phase and Ag, which are associated with TiAg alloy formation, despite the presence of a-phase Ti. These findings further confirm that our process provides a unique approach to selectively form TiAg alloy with a high content of oxide compounds without necessitating a change in the bulk properties of the Ti6Al4V processed material.…”

“…Previous studies have shown that laser surface treatment leads to a rapid temperature rise and cooling which can result in the predominant formation of α-Ti phase of a thin layer on the surface, a brittle layer consisting of α-phase Ti with an oxygen-rich content. 44,45…”

LASER as a tool for surface modification of dental biomaterials: A review

“…A direct laser melting technique was used to fabricate β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) coated zirconia implants by applying a long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser of 1064 nm, thereby demonstrating that laser processes can be used to build a coat with optimum bonding and desirable mechanical properties [ 143 ]. Creation of a biologically active surface by deposition of fluorinated hydroxyapatite on zirconia implant by pulsed laser was reported by Min Li et al, 2022 [ 144 ]. Similarly, a laser-assisted biomimetic process was used for coating Calcium phosphate (CaP) on the surface of poly(ether ketone) which made the surface osteoconductive and improved its cytocompatibility [ 145 ].…”

Numerical Study of Microstructures and Roughness Design Effects on Surface Hydrophilicity through the Lattice Boltzmann Method

“…The additional coating methods increase the surface hydrophilicity by taking advantage of the hydrophilic biomaterials. Biomaterials used for implant coatings are broadly classified into ceramics (Díaz-Cuenca et al 2022;Li et al 2022), polymers (Tao et al 2020;Tallet et al 2021), and metallic systems (Pham et al 2022;Yan et al 2022). However, the problems of cytotoxicity, shedding of coatings, and a lack of mechanical properties still exist.…”