The osteogenic differentiation of human osteoprogenitor cells on Anodic-Plasma-Chemical treated Ti6Al7Nb.

Biological integration of an implant to surrounding bone is an important event for its clinical success and is driven by numerous factors, including the attraction of bone forming cells. The implant's surface properties influence the initial cell response at the cell/material interface, ultimately affecting the rate and quality of new tissue formation and the stability of the implant. As a consequence, various surface treatments have been developed to increase the clinical performance of titanium-based implants. Among them, the Anodic Plasma-Chemical (APC) technique allows for the combined chemical and morphological modification of titanium surfaces in a single process step. In the present study, we compared the potential of APC surface treatment of high-strength titanium alloys with vacuum plasma spray treatment and yellow gold anodization in supporting osteogenic differentiation of two different osteoprogenitor cell types. Both human fetal osteoblast cell line (hFOB1.19) and human mesenchymal stromal cells showed extensive cell spreading, faster cell growth and differentiation on APC surfaces compared to vacuum plasma spray treated and yellow gold anodized surfaces. Our findings showed that APC titanium-based surfaces provided an effective substrate for osteoprogenitor cells adhesion, proliferation and differentiation.