Laser Treatment For Bio Materials
Laser Treatment For Bio Materials
Load-bearing metal implants often face properties. As it is quite difficult metal implants with surface attributes
fail prematurely due to inadequate bio- to design metal implants fulfilling both that are decoupled from the bulk prop-
compatibility, mechanical/tribological needs, a most popular approach is to erties. Furthermore, the surface prop-
properties, and poor osseointegration. fabricate implants with adequate bulk erties can be selectively modified to
It is well known that biomaterials’ sur- properties followed by a special treat- enhance site-specific biological and/
face plays a vital role in the response to ment to enhance their surface proper- or tribological performance of the im-
these metal implants in the biological ties. In this way, one can make novel plants for a variety of orthopedic ap-
environment. The biological effective- plications. Because of these reasons,
ness of artificial implants is determined research on surface modification of
mainly by their surface characteristics How would you… metallic biomaterials has attracted
such as surface morphology, micro- …describe the overall significance much attention to improve multifunc-
structure, composition, mechanical of this paper? tionality, tribological and mechanical
properties, wettabilility, and surface Biomaterials’ surface characteristics properties, as well as biocompatibility
free energy. Hence, there is significant play a vital role to improve the of artificial metal implants while obvi-
service life of metal implants. Surface
interest toward surface modification modification of metal implants via ating the need for large expenses and a
and effective design of load-bearing lasers can elicit specific, desired, and long time to develop brand new metal-
metal implants so as to improve their timely response from the surrounding lic biomaterials.
cells and tissues through improved
surface properties and thereby elicit a multifunctionality, tribological, and
Major factors limiting the life of
specific, desired, and timely response mechanical properties, as well as current load-bearing metal implants
from the surrounding cells and tissues. biocompatibility. include (i) mismatch of the Young’s
In this article, we provide an insight …describe this work to a modulus between bone (10–30 GPa)
into laser surface modification of Ti/ materials science and engineering and metallic implant materials (110
Ti6Al4V alloy with or without func- professional with no experience in GPa for Ti and over 200 GPa for CoCr-
tional gradation in composition and your technical specialty? Mo alloy) leading to stress-shielding;
their microstructural, in vitro wear and Artificial bone substitute materials’ (ii) poor interfacial bond between the
surface and bulk mechanical
biological properties for various load- properties determine the quality of host tissue and the implant due to bio-
bearing orthopedic applications. implant-bone integration, long-term inert surface, and (iii) wear induced os-
stabilization, and, in turn, the in teolysis and aseptic loosening in metal-
introduCtion vivo life of an implant. As it is quite on-polymer implants. One consider-
difficult to design metal implants
Musculoskeletal disorders are seri- fulfilling both needs, a most popular ation to reduce modulus mismatch, and
ous health conditions that severely af- approach is to fabricate implants thus the stress-shielding, has been the
fect quality of life. In most cases, res- with adequate bulk properties development of implants with porous
followed by a special treatment to
toration of lost structures and functions or low modulus metals. Use of porous
enhance their surface properties,
of diseased bones, particularly load- which is explored in this article. metals can effectively reduce the mod-
bearing structures, requires an artificial ulus mismatch1,2 and provide pathways
…describe this work to a layperson?
bone substitute material that does not for bone in-growth through the pores
In most cases, restoration of diseased
damage the healthy tissue or pose any bones requires an artificial bone for stable long-term anchorage or bio-
viral or bacterial risk to patients. It is substitute that does not damage the logical fixation of the implant.3–5 Most
generally known that implants’ surface healthy tissues or pose any viral and/ popular approaches to achieve strong
and bulk mechanical properties deter- or bacterial risk to patients. Metals bone-implant interfacial strength are
are bioinert and naturally lack good
mine the quality of implant-bone inte- bonding with bone tissue. To enhance application of bioactive coatings6–8
gration, long-term stabilization, and, in tissue–materials interactions and porous metal coatings9 on dense
turn, in vivo life of an implant. Hence, bioactive coatings are typically used. metals. Application of hydroxyapa-
it is of paramount importance to de- Also to reduce contact resistance tite (HA) ceramics, titanium- or tan-
between articulating metallic parts
sign load-bearing metal implants with hard coatings are commonly used. talum-based porous metal coating on
the best combination of bulk and sur- implants provides an osteoinductive
Ti6A14V alloy
implants can enhance bone tissue in-
growth and are effective in supple-
menting the stability of the implant by Figure 1. Typical micro-
biological fixation.10,11 Several attempts structure of laser-pro-
have been made to minimize the wear- cessed Ti6Al4V-CoCrMo
graded structure with Unmelted Ti6A14V particles
induced osteolysis, including the use 86% CoCrMo alloy at the
of design modifications,12 UHMWPE top surface. 0.86 mm
property modification13 and the use
of alternate bearing couples, such as
Net Shaping (LENS™).28 Using opti- sity observed on 100% CoCrMo al-
metal-on-metal (MM) and ceramic-on-
mized LENS processing parameters, loy. Moreover, the porosity on the
ceramic (CC) implants, thereby elimi-
crack free coatings containing up to Ti6Al4V alloy side, which will be in
nating the use of UHMWPE.14–16 Both
86% CoCrMo on top surface have been contact with bone, can improve bone
the clinical retrievals and hip simulator
deposited on Ti6Al4V alloy with excel- tissue in-growth while the hard coat-
testing have shown that MM bearing
lent reproducibility.28 These composi- ing on the other side increases the wear
has considerably low linear (40 times)
tionally graded structures consisted of resistance of the structure in contact
and volumetric (200 times) wear than
porous 100% Ti6Al4V alloy in the first with CoCrMo femoral heads. In vitro
a metal-on-UHMWPE couple.14–18 A
six layers and the composition in the wear tests on these gradient structures
number of different surface modifica-
transition region has been varied from indicated that the wear rate of ultra-
tion techniques have been employed
100% Ti6Al4V alloy at the first layer high molecular weight polyethylene
for the preparation of metallic implants
to various concentrations of CoCrMo (UHMWPE) and 100% CoCrMo al-
to improve biological7,8,19,20 and tribo-
alloy at the top layer over 5 to 6 layers. loy substrates depend on the hardness
logical properties.21–24 Among these
Figure 1 shows typical microstructure and microstructural features of the
techniques laser surface modification
of laser-processed Ti6Al4V-CoCrMo counter surface rubbing against them.
can offer a high degree of process con-
graded structure with 86% CoCrMo In general, the wear rate of both the
trollability and flexibility. There is a
alloy at the top surface. Rapid cooling substrates increased with a decrease in
growing amount of published work that
rates associated with LENS process the CoCrMo alloy concentration on the
testifies to the potential of lasers for
reduced high temperature interaction top surface of gradient pins.29 Figure 2
altering the surface properties of me-
of Ti with Co, and eliminated the for- shows the wear coefficient (wear rate)
tallic biomaterials in order to improve
mation of intermetallic compounds. of UHMWPE discs tested against gra-
their biological and tribological proper-
In vitro biocompatibility tests showed dient metal pins with varying concen-
ties.25,26 Common advantages of laser
higher living cell density and better tration of CoCrMo alloy on the top sur-
surfacing, specifically for biomedi-
cell proliferation on gradient surfaces face. The results show that the average
cal applications, compared to alterna-
compared to 100% CoCrMo alloy. The wear coefficient of UHMWPE against
tives26,27 include chemical cleanliness,
average top surface hardness of gradi- metallic pins varied between 1.70×10–6
controlled thermal penetration and dis-
ent structure increased with increasing mm3/Nm and 9.35×10–6 mm3/Nm. The
tortion, controlled thermal profile, and,
concentration of CoCrMo (Table I). microstructure of GP50 pins (50%
therefore, shape and location of the heat
Gradient coatings with 86% CoCrMo CoCrMo on top) with large chunks of
affected region, remote noncontact pro-
in the top surface showed >180% in- hard CoCrMo alloy phase acted as iso-
cessing, and relative ease to automate.
crease in the surface hardness (com- lated abrasive particles leading to local
Therefore, in this paper, an overview
pared to 100% Ti6Al4V alloy) with grooving and high wear rate of UHM-
of our recent work on the fabrication,
more than double the living cell den- WPE. Table II shows the wear rate of
characterization, and properties of la-
ser surface modified Ti/Ti6Al4V alloy
with bioactive and/or wear resistance Table I. Average Top Surface Hardness (HV) of Gradient Structures28,34
metals/ceramics is presented.
Ti6Al4V-CoCrMo Gradient Structures Ti-TiO2 Gradient Structures
Hard and Wear
Composition Hardness Composition Hardness
resistant Coatings
100% Ti6Al4V 333 ± 16 100% Ti 192 ± 14
Ti6Al4V–CoCrMo Structures
25%CoCrMo + 75 Ti6Al4V 588 ± 27 50% TiO2 + 50% Ti 1102 ± 140
Functionally graded structures with
hard and wear resistant CoCrMo alloy 50%CoCrMo + 50 Ti6Al4V 670 ± 28 90% TiO2 + 10% Ti 1122 ± 116
coating on porous Ti6Al4V alloy with 70%CoCrMo + 30 Ti6Al4V 789 ± 38 100% TiO2 1150 ± 118
metallurgically sound interface have
86%CoCrMo + 14 Ti6Al4V 947 ± 22 — —
been produced using Laser Engineered
Oxidized (200W)
oxidized films primarily composed of 0.3
tetragonal-ZrO2 and monoclinic-ZrO2 Figure 4. MTT assay of 0.25
phases. The laser oxidation of Zr coat- OPC1 cells observed on la- 0.2
ser processed Zr and ZrO2
ings also enhanced the wettability of films as a function of culture
0.15
Zr. The contact angle of water on the time. A higher optical den- 0.1
oxidized Zr surface decreased from 52º sity represents higher con- 0.05
centration of living cells.39 0
±1º to 42º ±1º when the laser power
was increased from 100 to 200 W, and 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Days
the un-oxidized Zr showed a contact
Optical Density
of culture time on la-
0.15
ular all-tantalum implant limited its ser processed porous
Ta, porous Ti samples,
wide spread applicability. Further, high Ta coatings and plas- 0.1
affinity for oxygen and extremely high ma sprayed HA coat-
melting temperature (3,017ºC) make ings.7,43,44 A higher opti-
cal density represents 0.05
it difficult to process tantalum-based higher concentration of
coatings or implant structures via con- living cells. 0
ventional processing routes. However, Porous Ti Porous Ta Dense Ta Dense HA
recently we have demonstrated fabrica- (73%) (73%) Coating Coating
tion of bulk porous Ta structures,43 with
total porosities between 27% and 55%,
and dense Ta coatings on Ti7 using obtained using MTT are shown in Fig- biological fixation.
high-power lasers in LENS—a solid ure 6. A statistically significant differ-
ConClusions
freeform fabrication technology. Our ence (p<0.05) in cell density has been
in vitro biocompatibility tests using the observed between Ta samples and Ti In summary, novel, unitized Ti/
MTT assay and an immunochemistry or HA.7,43,44 Moreover, quantitative as- Ti6Al4V structures, with or without
study showed excellent cellular adher- say of cell survivability on these coat- porosity, on one side and hard and/
ence, growth and differentiation with ings demonstrates that the Ta coatings bioactive surfaces on the other side can
abundant extracellular matrix forma- provide comparable initial cell attach- be fabricated using laser-based mate-
tion on porous Ta structures compared ment to that of HA coatings. Excellent rial deposition technologies. Recent
to porous Ti control.43 A six-fold higher cellular attachment and spreading in investigations on laser processing of Ta
living cell density was observed on Ta terms of high intensity and distribution opens up further possibilities to create
coatings than on a Ti control surface of vinculin expression demonstrated modular Ta implants for a variety of
as measured by the MTT assay.7 Cell the biocompatibility of laser processed applications. Gradient structures with
proliferation data on the porous and Ta.7,8,43 It is generally accepted that the CoCrMo, TiO2 and ZrO2 on top surface
dense Ta, Ti, and HA coating surfaces cell attachment and growth are primar- found to exhibit high hardness and in
ily associated with a material’s chem- vitro wear resistance. Further, we have
istry and surface characteristics such shown that the laser processing does
as wettability and surface energy. Ta not change the inherent biocompatibil-
surface exhibited lower contact angles ity of the materials used to fabricate the
Ti and higher surface energy than Ti or structures.
HA surfaces.7,43,44 Moreover, the polar
aCknoWledgements
component of the Ta metals’ surface
TCP
energy is comparable to that of HA The authors would like to acknowl-
coating (Table IV), which enhanced edge the financial support from the
TCP cellular adhesion and proliferation. A W.M. Keck Foundation to establish a
Ti high surface energy and excellent wet- Biomedical Materials Research Lab at
tability of Ta surface have been found WSU. Also financial support from the
to contribute to improve cell–mate- M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, the
20 mm rial interactions of Ta that is compa- Office of Naval Research (N00014-1-
rable to that of HA.7,43,44 These results 04-0644 and N00014-1-05-0583), the
Figure 5. Typical top surface SEM mi-
crograph of laser deposited TCP coat-
demonstrate that Ta structures offer a National Science Foundation (CMMI
ings (400 W, 15 mm/s, 13 g/min) after favorable biological environment for 0728348) and the National Institutes
polishing and etching.40 adhesion, growth and differentiation of of Health (NIH-R01-EB-007351) are
human osteoblasts, which can promote gratefully acknowledged.
Amit Bandyopadhyay, Vamsi Krishna Balla, and Susmita Bose are TMS Members
To read more about them, turn to page 10. To join TMS, visit www.tms.org/Society/Membership.aspx.