Component effects of bioactive glass on corrosion resistance and in vitro biological properties of apatite-matrix coatings

BACKGROUND: Surface modification of metallic implants is critical for improving the clinical performance of the dental and orthopedic devices. Bioactive glasses exhibit different levels of cellular function and physicochemical behavior; however, there have been few previous studies on the effect of constituents of the bioactive glasses on the in vitro osteogenic activity and corrosion resistance of apatite-based coatings. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of SiO ₂ , CaO, Na ₂ O, and P ₂ O ₅ on plasma-sprayed apatite coatings on Ti alloy substrates for tailoring the properties of implants making them suitable for clinical applications. METHODS: The corrosion potential and corrosion current of various coatings in simulated body fluid (SBF) were examined. MG63 cell proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of plasma-sprayed apatite-matrix coatings were evaluated. RESULTS: The SiO ₂ and CaO-containing HA (HSC) coating had a higher corrosion potential than the other three coatings, while SiO ₂ -containing HA (HS) coating displayed the highest corrosion current among all coatings. The effect of the oxides on cell functions followed the order SiO ₂ > CaO > P ₂ O ₅ > Na ₂ O in terms of cell attachment, proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization. CONCLUSIONS: The flexibility in oxide doping may allow for the tunable biological properties and corrosion-resistant ability of the apatite coatings.