Nanostructuring of a titanium material by high-pressure torsion improves pre-osteoblast attachment

The improvement of pre-osteoblast attachment of a titanium material through nanostructuring by high-pressure torsion is presented. The nanostructured titanium substrates have exhibited an excellent combination of surface and bulk properties that are essential characteristics of a successful implant material. Pre-osteoblast attachment and growth rate is improved on the surface of ultrafine-grained titanium substrates produced by the HPT process, which preferentially support the initial attachment and spreading of preosteoblasts over fibroblasts. Osteoblasts grown on the surface of a more hydrophilic titanium oxide layer exhibited a differentiated phenotype, characterized by an increased alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin. The nanostructured titanium substrate also provide a promising alternative to titanium-based medical devices, while coated titanium as generally requires additional steps in processing and fabrication and has poor mechanical and physical properties.