Jesús Eduardo González Ruiz

Manufacture of nanosized apatite coatings on titanium with different surface treatments using a supersaturated calcification solution

The biomimetic method is used for the deposition of calcium phosphate coatings (Ca - P) on the surface of different biomaterials. However, the application of this method requires long exposure times in order to obtain a suitable layer thickness for its use in medical devices. In this paper, we present a fast approach to obtain apatite coatings on titanium, using a combination of supersaturated calcification solution (SCS) with chemical modification of the titanium surface. Also, it was evaluated the effect of four different surface treatments on the apatite deposition rate. Commercially pure titanium plates were activated by chemical or thermochemical treatments. Then, the activated samples were immersed in a solution with high content of calcium and phosphate ions at 37 oC for 24 h, mimicking the physiological conditions. The coatings were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The use of SCS solutions allowed the formation of crystalline hydroxyapatite coatings within a period of 24 h with a thickness between 1 and 5.3 µm. Besides, precipitates of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles with a globular configuration, forming aggregates with submicrometer size, were found in SCS solutions.

PMMA/Ca2+ bone cements. Hydrolytic properties and bioactivity

Bone cements of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) have been used for about 40 years to fix artificial prosthesis to bone structure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the absorption, solubility, degradation and bioactivity of novel formulations of PMMA/Ca2+ bone cements. These properties were evaluated using a fractional experimental design. Hydrolytic parameters were determined, from which we found that 7/8 of the formulations for absorption and 6/8 for solubility fulfill the ISO 4049:2000 requirements. The final degradation values ranged between 1 and 5%, except for one of the formulations. Besides, some formulations showed bioactivity after seven days of immersion in SBF solution.