Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles that mimic natural HA are widely used as coatings on prostheses to repair, reconstruct and substitute human bones. However, for developing countries as Sri Lanka, the accessibility of most of these materials is limited due to the high cost of both raw materials and processing. Therefore, Wijesinghe et al. (2014) have prepared Sri Lankan origin HA nano-particles through atomized spray pyrolysis technique and have successfully prepared Ti surfaces with a binder TiO2 layer and HA layer on the TiO2 surfaces, which would be a simple material with high economic value for orthopaedic applications. In order to evaluate the appropriateness to utilize in the production of bone implants, this material was evaluated for cytotoxicity and biocompatibility (i.e.: morphology, proliferation and differentiation) in-vitro using osteoblast-like cells (HOS). The results of this study demonstrate that the surfaces of Ti with TiO2 thin layer, coated with HA did not elicit any toxic substance which would bring deleterious effects to HOS cells and have supported cell adhesion once the cells are in contact with the material surfaces (Image 1). Moreover, cells attached to the surfaces retained their typical polygonal morphology and osteoblast phenotype, while undergoing the developmental stages of HOS cells (proliferation and differentiation) successfully, confirming the biocompatibility of the material.
In conclusion, this material will be a promising alternative for the production of synthetic bone substitutes with high potential for future developments in load bearing as well as non-load bearing orthopaedic applications.
Abstract
M.G.G.S.N. Thilakarathna has completed her BSc. Special degree in Molecular biology and Biotechnology from University of Peradeniya and currently reading for her PhD. in biomaterials at Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. At present, she is mainly involved in evaluating the biocompatibility of different nano-structured materials which can be used as synthetic bone substitutes.