Titania nanotube morphologies for osseointegration via models of in vitro osseointegrative potential and in vivo intramedullary fixation

Abstract

As total joint replacements increase annually, new strategies to attain solid bone‐implant fixation are needed to increase implant survivorship. This study evaluated two morphologies of titania nanotubes (TiNT) in in vitro experiments and an in vivo rodent model of intramedullary fixation, to simulate joint arthroplasty conditions. TiNT surfaces were prepared via an electrochemical etching process, resulting in two different TiNT morphologies, an aligned structure with nanotubes in parallel and a trabecular bone‐like structure. in vitro data showed bone marrow cell differentiation into osteoblasts as well as osteoblastic phenotypic behavior through 21 days. In vivo, both TiNT morphologies generated greater bone formation and bone‐implant contact than control at 12 weeks, as indicated by μCT analyses and histology, respectively. TiNT groups also exhibited greater strength of fixation compared to controls, when subjected to wire pull‐out testing. TiNT may be a promising surface modification for promoting osseointegration.

Effect of titanium nanostructured surface on fibroblast behavior

“…The diameter of nanotubes (Table 1) was selected as it provided the most compact coverage of the titanium surface and the lowest nano-roughness (36.5 nm for both types of NTs, Table 1) compared to other studies published on electrochemically etched titanium nanotubes, for example, 170 to 220 nm 33 or 172 to 348 nm. 34 Wide range of studies discussed the effect of NTs diameter on cell behavior, 22,[35][36][37] so choose a diameter of around 100 nm as the most potent diameter improving the adhesion and proliferation of fibroblasts.…”

Anodic TiO2 Nanotubes: Tailoring Osteoinduction via Drug Delivery

“…The surface modification induced by the nanotube structures combined with annealing can change the hemocompatibility of TiO 2 NTs, by alleviating platelet activation (Mazare et al [111,150], Junkar et al [15], Huang et al [192], Gong et al [193], Bai et al [191,194]). Several in vivo studies have shown that TiO 2 nanotubular layers could induce successful peri-implant bone formation/osseointegration in various animal models using different diameter NTs: von Wilmowsky et al (30 nm diameter nanotubes) [195], Wang et al (30,70, and 100 nm diameter NTs) in minipigs [174], Alves-Rezende et al (≈ 74 nm diameter NTs) [196], Baker et al (TiO 2 NTs-in vitro and in vivo intramedullary fixation) in rats [197], or the review of Wang et al [198] for the effect of TiO 2 NTs grown on the implants' surface on osseointegration in animal models.…”

In Vitro and In Vivo Studies of Hydrogenated Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes with Superhydrophilic Surfaces during Early Osseointegration

“…Although TNTs can effectively promote the osteogenic activity of bone-forming cells or preosteoblasts, it remains unclear whether these inferences are consistent under in vivo conditions. Baker et al [ 16 ] proposed that TNTs can stimulate bone marrow cell differentiation in vitro and promote bone regeneration and bonding strength in rodents. However, Sanchez et al [ 17 ] observed no significant differences between the use of TNTs and polished titanium after 30 days of healing in rodents.…”