MODULATION OF THE MICRO/NANOTOPOGRAPHY OF PLASMA-SPRAYED BIOMEDICAL COATINGS FOR ENHANCED OSTEOGENIC ACTIVITY

Surface micro/nanotopography of orthopedic implants plays a significant role in determining their biological performance. In this study, plasma jet was for the first time utilized to modulate the micro/nanostructure of the plasma-sprayed 50% Nb2O5-TiO2 coating on the biomedical Ti alloy based on its high temperature and super-high cooling rate characteristics. Results show that the plasma jet can modulate the shape, dimension and distribution of the surface grains in a process-parameter-dependent manner, thus being able to tailor the micro/nanotopography of the surface coating. In vitro cell culture experiments proved that the plasma jet-induced topographical changes have great effects on the osteogenic activity of the MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the coating surface.