Surface modification of titanium by hydrothermal treatment in Mg-containing solution and early osteoblast responses.

Surface modification on titanium was carried out in order to improve its bioactivity. Pure titanium was hydrothermally treated in distilled water and 0.1 M MgCl(2) solutions at 200°C for 24 h. Surface morphology, roughness, wettability and chemical composition were characterized before and after treatment. Bovine serum albumin was used as model to study protein adsorption. MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured and initial cell attachment, morphology, proliferation were evaluated. After hydrothermal treatment, nano-sized precipitations were observed and samples showed superhydrophilicity. Magnesium (Mg) was immobilized into titanium surface by hydrothermal treatment. Protein adsorption was significantly increased on Mg-containing samples. Cell attachment was improved and cell spreading was enhanced on Mg-containing samples compared with untreated or those treated in distilled water. Increased early cellular attachment on the MgTi surface resulted in subsequent increase of number of proliferated cells. Hydrothermal treatment in MgCl(2) solution was expected to be an effective method to fabricate titanium implant with good bioactivity.

Effect of CaCl2 hydrothermal treatment on the bone bond strength and osteoconductivity of Ti-0.5Pt and Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Pt alloy implants.

To achieve osteoconductivity, Ti-0.5Pt and Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Pt alloys were hydrothermally treated at 200 degrees C in 10 mmol/l CaCl(2) aqueous solution for 24 h (HT-treatment). We conducted histological investigations of the HT-treated materials by using Wistar strain rats (SD rats) to evaluate the usefulness of the treatment. To measure the bone bond strength, the specimens were implanted in the tibia of SD rats, and a pull-out test was conducted. From the early postoperative stages, direct bone contact was obtained for the HT-treated implants. Within 1-4 weeks of implantation, the bone contact ratios and bone bond strengths of the HT-treated implants were higher than those of the non-treated implants. The Ti-0.5Pt and Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Pt alloys with HT-treatment showed the potential to develop a new implant with a high bone bond strength and rapid osteoconduction.

Self-cleaning ability of a photocatalyst-containing denture base material.

This study examined the ability of a photocatalyst mixed in a denture base resin to decompose organic substances which adhered to the denture base resin surface. The photocatalyst was mixed with denture base resin at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, and 15% (w/w). Decomposition test, bending test, and surface roughness measurement were performed at 1, 7, 30, 90, and 180 days after polymerization. Decomposition ability was evaluated based on the residual amount of methylene blue (MB) dissolved in ethanol after UV irradiation for 12 hours. As the mixing ratio increased, the amount of MB in the solution decreased. Meanwhile, no changes in the amount of MB in the immersion solution were observed in the photocatalyst-free resin specimen. Therefore, the results indicated that a denture base resin containing a photocatalyst might have a photocatalytic ability.

Effect of molding pressure on fabrication of low-crystalline calcite block.

We have reported that low-crystalline porous calcite block, which is useful as a bone substitute or a source material to prepare apatite-type bone fillers could be fabricated by exposing calcium hydroxide compact to carbon dioxide gas saturated with water vapor. In the present study, we investigated the effect of molding pressure on the transformation of calcium hydroxide into calcite and the mechanical strength of the carbonated compact. Transformation into calcite was almost completed within 72 h, however, a small amount of Ca(OH)(2) still remained unreacted at higher molding pressure because of incomplete penetration of CO(2) gas into the interparticle space due to dense packing of Ca(OH)(2) particles. On the other hand, high molding pressure resulted in an increase in diametral tensile strength (DTS) of the calcite compact formed. Critical porosity of the calcite block was calculated as approximately 68%.

The development of Ti alloys for dental implant with high corrosion resistance and mechanical strength.

The corrosion behaviors of Ti and Ti-6Al-4V, Ti-6Al-7Nb, Ti-0.5Pt, Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Pt, and Ti-6Al-7Nb-0.5Pt alloys were examined using an electrochemical analyzer in artificial saliva containing 0.1 and 0.2% NaF at a pH of 4.0. The SEM observations revealed that the surfaces of the alloys containing 0.5 wt% Pt were not affected in fluoride-containing environments, whereas the surfaces of Ti, Ti-6A1-4V, and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloys were markedly rough. In artificial saliva containing 0.1% NaF at a pH of 4.0, the amounts of Ti dissolved from the Ti, Ti-6Al-4V, and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloys were about 50 times larger than those of the alloys containing 0.5 wt% Pt. The tensile strengths of the alloys containing 0.5 wt% Pt were equal to or higher than those of pure Ti or the alloys without Pt. The Ti-0.5Pt, Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Pt, and Ti-6Al-7Nb-0.5 alloys are expected to be useful in clinical dentistry as new Ti alloys with high corrosion resistance and mechanical strength.

Fabrication of porous low crystalline calcite block by carbonation of calcium hydroxide compact.

Calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) has been widely used as a bone substitute material because of its excellent tissue response and good resorbability. In this experimental study, we propose a new method obtaining porous CaCO(3) monolith for an artificial bone substitute. In the method, calcium hydroxide compacts were exposed to carbon dioxide saturated with water vapor at room temperature. Carbonation completed within 3 days and calcite was the only product. The mechanical strength of CaCO(3) monolith increased with carbonation period and molding pressure. Development of mechanical strength proceeded through two steps; the first rapid increase by bonding with calcite layer formed at the surface of calcium hydroxide particles and the latter increase by the full conversion of calcium hydroxide to calcite. The latter process was thought to be controlled by the diffusion of CO(2) through micropores in the surface calcite layer. Porosity of calcite blocks thus prepared had 36.8-48.1% depending on molding pressure between 1 MPa and 5 MPa. We concluded that the present method may be useful for the preparation of bone substitutes or the preparation of source material for bone substitutes since this method succeeded in fabricating a low-crystalline, and thus a highly reactive, porous calcite block.

Effects of sintering temperature over 1,300 degrees C on the physical and compositional properties of porous hydroxyapatite foam.

Porous hydroxyapatite (HAP) foam permits three-dimensional (3D) structure with fully interconnecting pores as well as excellent tissue response and good osteoconductivity. It is therefore thought to be a good candidate as scaffold material for bone regeneration and as a synthetic bone substitute material. To fabricate better porous HAP foam, improved physical and structural properties as well as higher osteoconductivity are desired. In the present study, the effects of sintering temperature on the physical and compositional properties of porous HAP foam were evaluated by employing high sintering temperature starting at 1,300 degrees C up to 1,550 degrees C. The mechanical strength of porous HAP foam increased with sintering temperature to reach the maximum value at 1,525 degrees C, then decreased slightly when sintering temperature was further increased to 1,550 degrees C. Alpha tricalcium phosphate (alpha-TCP) was formed, and thus the porous HAP foam became biphasic calcium phosphate. Biphasic calcium phosphate consisting of both alpha-TCP and HAP had been reported to show higher osteoconductivity than HAP alone. We therefore recommend 1,500-1,550 degrees C as the sintering temperature for porous HAP foam since this condition provided the most desirable physical properties with biphasic calcium phosphate composition.

Corrosion behavior of pure titanium and titanium alloys in various concentrations of Acidulated Phosphate Fluoride (APF) solutions.

The corrosion behaviors of Ti, Ti-6Al-7Nb and Ti-6Al-4V alloys, and an experimentally produced Ti-0.5Pt alloy in 0.05% to 2.0% concentrations of Acidulated Phosphate Fluoride (APF) solutions (corresponding to 226 to 9,050 ppm fluoride at pH 3.5 or 3.6) were examined. While the corrosion of Ti, Ti-6Al-7Nb and Ti-6Al-4V alloys might occur easily even in a diluted 0.05% APF solution, dissolution of Ti from the Ti-0.5Pt alloy was observed only in test solutions with APF concentration exceeding 0.2%. When Ti-6Al-7Nb and Ti-6Al-4V alloys were immersed in 2.0% APF solution, their surfaces were entirely covered by compact corrosion products of Na3TiF6 due to severe corrosion. As a result, Ti dissolution was prevented and the amount of Ti dissolved decreased. However, since Ti was covered by porous, large-sized corrosion products of Na3TiF6 and that Ti-0.5Pt alloy was not covered with any corrosion product, the amount of Ti dissolved increased in the 2.0% APF solution.

Fabrication of hydroxyapatite block from gypsum block based on (NH4)2HPO4 treatment.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of fabricating low-crystalline, porous apatite block using set gypsum as a precursor based on the fact that apatite is thermodynamically more stable than gypsum. When the set gypsum was immersed in 1 mol/L diammonium hydrogen phosphate aqueous solution at 100 degrees C, it transformed to low-crystalline porous apatite retaining its original shape. The transformation reaction caused a release of sulfate ions due to an ion exchange with phosphate ions, thus leading to a decrease in the pH of the solution. Then, due to decreased pH, dicalcium phosphate anhydrous--which has similar thermodynamic stability at lower pH--was also produced as a by-product. Apatite formed in the present method was low-crystalline, porous B-type carbonate apatite that contained approximately 0.5 wt% CO3, even though no carbonate sources--except carbon dioxide from air--were added to the reaction system. We concluded therefore that this is a useful bone filler fabrication method since B-type carbonate apatite is the biological apatite contained in bone.

Effects of fluoride and dissolved oxygen concentrations on the corrosion behavior of pure titanium and titanium alloys.

The effects of dissolved-oxygen concentration and fluoride concentration on the corrosion behaviors of commercial pure titanium, Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloys and experimentally produced Ti-0.2Pd and Ti-0.5Pt alloys were examined using the corrosion potential measurements. The amount of dissolved Ti was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. A decrease in the dissolved-oxygen concentration tended to reduce the corrosion resistance of Ti and Ti alloys. If there was no fluoride, however, corrosion did not occur. Under low dissolved-oxygen conditions, the corrosion of pure Ti and Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloys might easily take place in the presence of small amounts of fluoride. They were corroded by half or less of the fluoride concentrations in commercial dentifrices. The Ti-0.2Pd and Ti-0.5Pt alloys did not corrode more, even under the low dissolved-oxygen conditions and a fluoride-containing environment, than pure Ti and Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloys. These alloys are expected to be useful as new Ti alloys with high corrosion resistance in dental use.