Fabrication of bioactive nanostructured titania for biomedical applications

Abstract

Over the past years there is an increasing demand for biomedical implants because they enhance the quality of lives by extending the functionality of essential body parts beyond their life spans. An increase in number of people need their failed tissues to be replaced by artificial implantable devices due to the rapid changes in the age structure of the world s population and increase in average life. Over the past two decades the bone related issues are increasing and the number of artificial hip and knee replacements have increased markedly worldwide and it is predicted that the number of people over 50 years of age who have bone disease will be doubled by 2020. Titanium and its alloys are extensively used in orthopedic applications due to their unique combination of various properties such as low modulus of elasticity, desirable mechanical strength, remarkable corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. Even though the native TiO2 layer delivers specific properties, it is not able to induce bone formation. If the bonding between the Ti implant and bone cannot form initially, fibrous tissue gets encapsulated around the implant leading to implant dislocation and loosening. Early and rigid osseointegration is necessary for long term normal functions of implants. Current researches focus on the nanoscale surface modifications to control the surface characteristics of the implant material to overcome the aforementioned limitations. Formation of TiO2 nanotubes on the titanium surface is a good strategy to surface structuring on the nanoscale regime to enhance the properties of the implant materials. newline