Rough surfaces of titanium and titanium alloys for implants and prostheses

Titanium and titanium alloys for dental implants and hip prostheses were surface-treated and/or covered by metallic or ceramic rough layers after being submitted to sand blasting. The goal of these treatments is to improve the surface roughness and consequently the osteointegration, the fixation, and the stability of the implant. The microstructure of titanium and titanium alloys submitted to these treatments has been studied and correlated to their mechanical behavior. As-treated/covered and mechanically tested surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Structural analyses performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), mainly in cross-section, reveal the degree of adherence and cohesion between the surface layer and the substrate (implant). We observed that, although the same convenient surface roughness was obtained with the two types of process, many characteristics as structural properties and mechanical behavior are very different.