Physical, chemical, and biological characterization of pulsed laser deposited and plasma sputtered hydroxyapatite thin films on titanium alloy.

The physical, chemical, and biological properties of pulsed laser deposited (PLD) and plasma sputtered (PS) hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings were compared. Human osteoblast-like cell responses to these coatings in vitro were assayed for proliferation and phenotypic expression. PS coatings formed smooth and continuous thin films that followed the contours of the substrate surface. PLD coatings consisted of numerous spheroidal micro- and macroparticles. The crystallinity of all coatings was quantified by comparison with the HA target used for both the PS and PLD processes. The XRD and FTIR results indicated that unannealed PLD coatings deposited at room temperature had X-ray spectra consistent with an amorphous structure and were found to dissolve after only a few hours in saline solution. Annealing at 400 degrees C increased the crystallinity (87-98%), which resulted in improved stability and cell activity. The PS coatings showed greater chemical stability than the unannealed PLD coatings and contained an approximate 15% crystalline phase, increasing to 65% postannealing. Cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase production were significantly higher on unannealed PS specimens than the other coating treatments. There may be benefits in engineering the presence of a minor percentage of a microcrystalline phase in an amorphous or nanometer scale polycrystalline HA structure. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.