TITLE:
Osteoconductivity of Hydrophilic Surfaces of Zr-9Nb-3Sn Alloy with Hydrothermal Treatment
AUTHORS:
Mansjur Zuldesmi, Kensuke Kuroda, Masazumi Okido, Masato Ueda, Masahiko Ikeda
KEYWORDS:
Zirconium Alloys, Hydrothermal, Hydrophilic, in Vivo, Osteoconductivity
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology,
Vol.6 No.3,
June
8,
2015
ABSTRACT: Zirconium and its alloys are more suitable materials for implant surgery to be performed in a
magnetic resonance imaging scanner compared with other implant materials. Although they have
high anticorrosion properties in the body, as do titanium and its alloys, they have little use as implants
in contact with bone because of their low osteoconductivity (bone-implant contact ratio).
To improve the osteoconductivity of zirconium, niobium, and Zr-9Nb-3Sn alloy, we applied a single-
step hydrothermal surface treatment using distilled water at a temperature of 180°C for 3 h.
The hydrothermally treated samples were stored in a ×5 phosphate-buffered saline (PBS(-)) solution
to keep or to improve the water contact angle (WCA), which has a strongly positive effect on
osteoconductivity. The specimen surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy,
X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, surface roughness, and contact angle measurement
using a 2 μL droplet of distilled water. The relationship between WCA and osteoconductivity
for various surface modifications was examined using in vivo tests. The results showed that a
superhydrophilic surface with a WCA ≤ 10° and a high osteoconductivity of up to 40% in cortical
bone, about four times higher than the as-polished Zr-9Nb-3Sn and its pure alloy elements, was
provided by the combination of hydrothermal surface treatment and storage in ×5 PBS(-).