Bonding strength of bonelike apatite layer to Ti metal substrate.

Our previous study showed that titanium metal forms a bonelike apatite layer on its surface in simulated body fluid when it was subjected to NaOH and heat treatments to form a sodium titanate hydrogel or amorphous sodium titanate surface layer. In the present study, bonding strength of the apatite layer formed on the titanium metals to the substrates were examined under tensile stress, in comparison with those of the apatite layers formed on Bioglass 45S5-type glass, dense sintered hydroxyapatite, and glass-ceramic A-W, which are already clinically used. The NaOH-treated titanium metals showed higher bonding strength of the apatite layer to the substrates, which was maximized by heat treatments at 500 and 600 degrees C, than all the examined bioactive ceramics. It is believed that bioactive metals thus obtained are useful as bone substitutes, even under load-bearing conditions.