title: Biomimetic modification of porous TiNbZr alloy scaffold for bone tissue engineering.
abstract: Porous titanium (Ti) and Ti alloys are important scaffold materials for bone tissue engineering. In the present study, a new type of porous Ti alloy scaffold with biocompatible alloying elements, that is, niobium (Nb) and zirconium (Zr), was prepared by a space-holder sintering method. This porous TiNbZr scaffold with a porosity of 69% exhibits a mechanical strength of 67 MPa and an elastic modulus of 3.9 GPa, resembling the mechanical properties of cortical bone. To improve the osteoconductivity, a calcium phosphate (Ca/P) coating was applied to the surface of the scaffold using a biomimetic method. The biocompatibility of the porous TiNbZr alloy scaffold before and after the biomimetic modification was assessed using the SaOS2 osteoblast-like cells. Cell culture results indicated that the porous TiNbZr scaffold is more favorable for cell adhesion and proliferation than its solid counterpart. By applying a Ca/P coating, the cell proliferation rate on the Ca/P-coated scaffold was significantly improved. The results suggest that high-strength porous TiNbZr scaffolds with an appropriate osteoconductive coating could be potentially used for bone tissue engineering application.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Technology Research and Innovation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Xiaojian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yuncang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.forename: Cui'e
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wen
mesh_terms: D000497:Alloys; D040761:Biomimetic Materials; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D009556:Niobium; D016062:Porosity; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D015040:Zirconium
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D009556:Niobium; D015040:Zirconium