Osteoclast adhesion and activity on synthetic hydroxyapatite, carbonated hydroxyapatite, and natural calcium carbonate: relationship to surface energies.

This study investigates the adhesion, cytoskeletal changes, and resorptive activity of disaggregated rat osteoclasts cultured on polished slices of three biomaterials: crystalline synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA), carbonated hydroxyapatite (C-HA), and natural calcium carbonate (C). The surface chemistry of each substrate was defined by X-ray diffraction and IR spectroscopy, surface wettability by the dispersive, and the polar components of the surface energies. Osteoclast adhesion was modulated by the polar component of the surface energy: fewer (p < 0.01) osteoclasts adhered to C-HA (97 +/- 20/slice, surface energy 9 +/- 5 mJ/m2) than to HA (234 +/- 16/slice, surface energy 44 +/- 2 mJ/m2) or to C (268 +/- 37/slice, surface energy 58 +/- 0.5 mJ/m2). Actin rings, which are the cytoskeletal structure essential for resorption, developed on all three materials. The area of the actin ring, which is resorbed by local acidification, and the osteoclast area, which reflects osteoclast spreading, were both greater in osteoclasts cultured on HA and C-HA than in those cultured on C. C was resorbed, but HA and C-HA were not. Thus, the surface energy plays an essential role in osteoclast adhesion, whereas osteoclast spreading may depend on the surface chemistry, especially on protein adsorption and/or on newly formed apatite layers. Resorption may be limited to the solubility of the biomaterial. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.