Functionalized Titanium Implants And Related Regenerative Materials
SUMMARY
UCLA researchers in the Department of Dentistry have developed novel titanium surfaces with enhanced bioactivity in implants and tissue regeneration.
BACKGROUND
Titanium implants are widely used in the over 500,000 hip and knee reconstruction procedures performed annually in the United States. Slow bone healing around the implant reduces the quality of life and results in a relatively high percentage of revision surgery (5-40%). Titanium’s use in dental implants and tissue regenerative therapies is also limited by its bone-forming capacity. Growth factors can be used to stimulate tissue regeneration, but their effectiveness remains limited. One way to improve titanium’s bioactivity is by surface modification that avoids reaction with calcium ions.
INNOVATION
Researchers at UCLA have developed novel titanium surfaces with enhanced bioactivity. The modified surface uses electrostatic interactions to increases adherence to negatively charged proteins and cells. This surface modification enables direct interaction between proteins and cells. The enhanced protein adsorption and cell attachment increases titanium's application in tissue integration and regeneration. Immediate broad applicability is possible because this titanium surface processing is simple, highly effective, and inexpensive.
APPLICATIONS
- Prosthetic implants (hip and knee)
- Dental implants
- Regenerative tissue
RELATED MATERIALS
H. Aita, N. Hori, M. Takeuchi, T. Suzuki, M. Yamada, M. Anpo, and T. Ogawa, The effect of ultraviolet functionalization of titanium on integration with bone, Biomaterials, 2009.