Design of bone-stimulating implants by mechanotransduction modulation

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Development of β-TCP-Ti6Al4V structures: Driving cellular response by modulating physical and chemical properties

Publication . Costa, M.M.; Lima, R.; Melo-Fonseca, F.; Bartolomeu, F.; Alves, N.; Miranda, A.; Gasik, M.; Silva, F.S.; Silva, N.A.; Miranda, G.

Load-bearing implants success is strongly dependent on several physical and chemical properties that are known to drive cellular response. In this work, multi-material β-TCP-Ti6Al4V cellular structures were designed to combine Ti6Al4V mechanical properties and β-Tricalcium Phosphate bioactivity, in order to promote bone ingrowth as the bioactive material is being absorbed and replaced by newly formed bone. In this sense, the produced structures were characterized regarding roughness, wettability, β-TCP quantity and quality inside the structures after fabrication and the pH measured during cell culture (as consequence of β-TCP dissolution) and those aspects were correlated with cellular viability, distribution, morphology and proliferation. These structures displayed a hydrophilic behavior and results showed that the addition of β-TCP to these cellular structures led to an alkalization of the medium, aspect that significantly influences the cellular response. Higher impregnation ratios were found more adequate for lowering the media pH and toxicity, and thus enhance cell adhesion and proliferation.

2019Journal article

Open access

45S5 BAG-Ti6Al4V structures: The influence of the design on some of the physical and chemical interactions that drive cellular response

Publication . Melo-Fonseca, F.; Lima, R.; Costa, M.M.; Bartolomeu, F.; Alves, Nuno; Miranda, A.; Gasik, M.; Silva, F.S.; Silva, N.A.; Miranda, G.

Multi-material Ti6Al4V cellular structures impregnated with 45S5 bioactive glass were designed and produced using Selective LaserMelting (SLM), an additive manufacturing technique, combinedwith Press and Sintering focusing on load bearing components like hip implants. These structures were designed to combine Ti6Al4V mechanical properties and promote bone ingrowth into the structure as the bioactive material (45S5) is being absorbed and replaced by newly formed bone. The influence of these structures design on some of the physical and chemical aspects that drive cellular response was assessed. Roughness, wettability, bioactive glass quantity and quality on the structures after processing and the pH measured during cell culture (as a consequence of bioactive glass dissolution) were evaluated and correlated with cellular viability, cellular distribution, morphology and proliferation on the surface and inside the structures.

2018Journal article

Open access