Enhanced effects of nano-scale topography on the bioactivity and osteoblast behaviors of micron rough ZrO2 coatings

Implant surface topography is one of the most important factors affecting the rate and extent of osseointegration. Randomly micron-roughened surfaces have been documented to support osteoblast adhesion, differentiation, and mineralized phenotype, and thus favoring bone fixation of implants to host tissues. However, few studies have been done yet to investigate whether their effects on osteoblast behaviors can be enhanced by incorporation of nano-scale topographic cues. To validate this hypothesis, zirconia coatings with micron roughness (about 6.6 μm) superimposed by nano-sized grains (<50 nm) were fabricated by plasma spraying. To validate the impact of nano-sized grains, post-treatments of surface polishing (SP) and heat treatment (HT) were performed on the as-sprayed (AS) coatings to change the surface topographies but keep the chemical and phase composition similar. Results of in vitro bioactivity test showed that apatite was formed only on coating surfaces with nano-sized grains (AS coatings), indicating the significance of nano-topographic cues on the in vitro bioactivity. Enhanced osteoblast adhesion and higher cell proliferation rate were observed on coatings with both micron-roughness and nano-sized grains (AS-coatings), compared to coatings with smooth surfaces (SP-coatings) and coatings with only micron-scale roughness (heat-treated coatings), indicating the significant effects of nano-size grains on osteoblast responses. As the micron rough surfaces have been well-documented to enhance bone fixation, results of this work suggest that a combination of surface modifications at both micron and nano-scale is required for enhanced osseointegration of orthopedic implants.