In vitro and in vivo investigations into the biocompatibility of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings for orthopedic applications.
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) shows great promise as a durable, wear- and corrosion-resistant coating for biomedical implants. The effects of DLC coatings on the musculoskeletal system have not been investigated in detail. In this study, DLC coatings were deposited on polystyrene 24-well tissue culture plates by fast-atom bombardment from a hexane precursor. Two osteoblast-like cell lines were cultured on uncoated and DLC-coated plates for periods of up to 72 h. The effects of DLC coatings on cellular metabolism were investigated by measuring the production of three osteoblast-specific marker proteins: alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and type I collagen. There was no evidence that the presence of the DLC coating had any adverse effect on any of the parameters measured in this study. In a second series of experiments, DLC-coated cobalt-chromium cylinders were implanted in intramuscular locations in rats and in transcortical sites in sheep. Histologic analysis of specimens retrieved 90 days after surgery showed that the DLC-coated specimens were well tolerated in both sites. These data indicate that DLC coatings are biocompatible in vitro and in vivo, and further investigations into their long-term biological and tribological performance are now warranted.
Allen
M
M
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Institute for Human Performance, SUNY-Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York 13210, USA. allenm@mail.upstate.edu
Myer
B
B
Rushton
N
N
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002244:Carbon; D002455:Cell Division; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018130:Diamond; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008422:Materials Testing; D009985:Orthopedics; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012756:Sheep
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D015675:Osteocalcin; D002244:Carbon; D018130:Diamond; D003094:Collagen; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase