Plasma-electrochemical deposition of porous zirconia on titanium-based dental material and in vitro interactions with primary osteoblasts cells

Abstract

Three new porous zirconia-coated titanium materials using anodic plasma-electrochemical oxidation have been fabricated and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis and X-ray diffraction. These ZrO₂/TiO₂ surfaces contained up to 43 wt% of ZrO₂, 49 wt% TiO₂ (M1–M3) and 8 wt% P₂O₅ (M2, M3). Zirconium titanate was detected as dominant microcrystalline phase. Primary human osteoblast cells were used for in vitro investigations. Cell proliferation and immunohistochemical analyses of morphology and expression of bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin were performed. Novel coatings M2 and M3 were shown to induce proliferation and expression of osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein to the extent comparable to that of Ticer, a material already employed in clinical practice.