Bone tissue response to plasma-nitrided titanium implant surfaces

A current goal of dental implant research is the development of titanium (Ti) surfaces to improve osseointegration. Plasma nitriding treatments generate surfaces that favor osteoblast differentiation, a key event to the process of osteogenesis. Based on this, it is possible to hypothesize that plasma-nitrided Ti implants may positively impact osseointegration. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo bone response to Ti surfaces modified by plasma-nitriding treatments. Material and Methods Surface treatments consisted of 20% N2 and 80% H2, 450°C and 1.5 mbar during 1 h for planar and 3 h for hollow cathode. Untreated surface was used as control. Ten implants of each surface were placed into rabbit tibiae and 6 weeks post-implantation they were harvested for histological and histomorphometric analyses. Results Bone formation was observed in contact with all implants without statistically significant differences among the evaluated surfaces in terms of bone-to-implant contact, bone area between threads, and bone area within the mirror area. Conclusion Our results indicate that plasma nitriding treatments generate Ti implants that induce similar bone response to the untreated ones. Thus, as these treatments improve the physico-chemical properties of Ti without affecting its biocompatibility, they could be combined with modifications that favor bone formation in order to develop new implant surfaces

Osteoblastlike Cell Adhesion on Titanium Surfaces Modified by Plasma Nitriding

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of various titanium surfaces modified by cold plasma nitriding in terms of adhesion and proliferation of rat osteoblastlike cells. Materials and Methods: Samples of grade 2 titanium were subjected to three different surface modification processes: polishing, nit riding by plasma direct current, and nitriding by cathodic cage discharge. To evaluate the effect of the surface treatment on the cellular response, the adhesion and proliferation of osteoblastlike cells (MC3T3) were quantified and the results were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman statistical tests. Cellular morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy. Results: There was more MC3T3 cell attachment on the rougher surfaces produced by cathodic cage discharge compared with polished samples (P < .05). Conclusions: Plasma nitriding improves titanium surface roughness and wettability, leading to osteoblastlike cell adhesion. INT J ORAL MAXILLOFAC IMPLANTS 2011;26:237-24