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Osseointegration of Ti–6Al–4V Alloy Implants with a Titanium Nitride Coating Produced by a PIRAC Nitriding Technique: A Long-Term Time Course Study in the Rat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 December 2014

Guy Sovak*
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Toronto, ON M2H 3J1, Canada
Irena Gotman
Affiliation:
The Faculty of Materials Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel
Anna Weiss
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
*
*Corresponding author.gsovak@cmcc.ca
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Abstract

This study examined bone tissue responses to Ti–6Al–4V alloy implants with a hard TiN coating applied by an original powder immersion reaction-assisted coating (PIRAC) nitriding method. Progression of implant fixation in the distal epiphysis and within the medullary cavity of the rat femur was evaluated between 3 days and 6 months postimplantation by scanning electron microscopy, oxytetracycline incorporation, and histochemistry. After 6 months, successful osseointegration was achieved in both epiphyseal and diaphyseal sites. Throughout, implant portions located within the epiphysis remained in close contact with bone trabeculae that gradually engulfed the implant forming a bone collar continuous with the trabecular network of the epiphysis. In the diaphysis, woven bone was first formed within the marrow cavity around the implant and later was replaced by a shell of compact bone around the implant. In general, higher osseointegration rates were measured for TiN-coated versus the uncoated implants, both in the epiphysis and in the diaphysis. In conclusion, our findings indicate an excellent long-term biocompatibility of TiN coatings applied by the PIRAC nitriding technique and superior osteoinductive ability in comparison with uncoated Ti–6Al–4V alloy. Such coatings can, therefore, be considered for improving the corrosion and wear resistance of titanium-based orthopedic implants.

Type
Biological and Biomaterials Applications
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2014 

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