Anodic Oxide Coatings on Ti Alloys and their Osteoconductivity

Titanium and Ti alloys are widely used as substitutional materials for natural bone because of their good biocompatibility, high strength, and high corrosion resistance. In our previous studies, TiO2 coating on Ti with Ra (arithmetical means of roughness) < 0.1 mu m formed by anodizing had much higher osteoconductivity than that of pure Ti. It can be expected that TiO2 coating with fine surface can improve the osteoconductivity of Ti alloys. In this study, the effects on the osteoconductivity of TiO2 coatings on different kinds of Ti alloys were investigated by in vivo study. TiO2 coatings with Ra < 0.1 mu m were formed on 4 kinds of Ti alloys (Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64), Ti-6Al-7Nb (Ti67), Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr (TNTZ), Ti-13Cr-1Fe-3Al (TCFA)) using anodizing in H3PO4 aqueous solution. Surface properties of these coatings were evaluated using SEM, XRD, and XPS. In in vivo study, samples were implanted in rats' tibia for 14 days, and then removed. Cross section of the sample was observed with optical microscope and bone-implant contact ratio (RB-I) at the interface between body tissue and bone was used as a parameter of osteoconductivity. Anatase type TiO2 coatings with Ra < 0.1 mu m were uniformly formed on all of the Ti alloys by anodizing at low voltage. These oxide coatings contained the ions of other alloy elements. TiO2 coatings on Ti64 and Ti67 indicated high osteoconductivity similar to that of TiO2 coating on pure Ti. On the contrary, TiO2 coating on TNTZ and TCFA showed low osteoconductivity. It was thought that ions of alloy elements brought bad influence on the osteoconductivity of TiO2.