Ultrafine-grained pure (UFG) titanium processed by equal
channel angular pressing possesses mechanical properties comparable
to those of Ti-6Al-4V and features more favorable friction resistance,
biocompatibility, and corrosion resistance than does commercially
pure (CP) titanium. Nevertheless, UFG titanium is still a bio-inert
material with a lack of bone-inducing ability. Here, TiO2-hydroxyapatite (TiO2-HA) coatings were fabricated on
CP titanium and UFG titanium through combining micro-arc oxidation
and hydrothermal treatment together to improve their cytocompatibility.
The results indicate that, compared with conventional coatings that
use CP titanium as the substrate, such coatings formed on the UFG
titanium possess additional hydrophilicity and in vitro cytocompatibility.
The fantastic hierarchical structure of the UFG TiO2-HA
coating (UG-MH coating), including microscale and nanoscale pores
and short column-shaped and sheet-shaped HA grains with varying geometric
shapes, excellent hydrophilicity, and high polar force, enhances the
mutual effects between the osteoblasts and titanium implant since
it provides an adequate microenvironment for the ingrowth of osteoblasts,
inducing osteoblast adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation.
The UG-MH coating has a synergistic effect due to its fantastic hydrophilic
hierarchical structure and high polar force on the up-regulated expression
of cytoskeletal actin proteins as well as osteocalcin, protein kinase
C (PKC), nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT), and Wnt5, enabling
osteoblasts to differentiate via the Wnt calcium-dependent signaling
pathway. This study highlights the idea that the modified UFG titanium
will be more suitable than CP titanium in dental and orthopedic applications.