Nanoporous,bioactive and cytocompatible TiO2 encapsulated Ti particles as bone augmentation material

Bone impaction grafting is a surgical technique used for the restoration of bone stock loss with impaction of autograft or allograft bone particles. Porous Ti particles are deformable, like bone particles, and offer better primary stability. In this study, spherical Ti particles were subjected to H₂O₂ solution treatment at 70 °C for 3 h and heat treated at different temperatures in the range of 400–800 °C. FE-SEM observation showed that Ti particle form highly porous network structure and these porous network structures were confirmed to be hydrogen titanate by Raman analysis. Subsequent heat treatment at temperature ranges of 400–800 °C showed the gradual transformation of hydrogen titanate network to anatase and finally rutile phase of TiO₂. The network structure appeared to be compacted by the heat treatment due to water removal and ultimately take the particulate morphology above 800 °C. Thus formed TiO₂ encapsulated Ti particles showed bioactivity in terms of deposition of apatite layer from simulated body fluid in the range of 400–600 °C. The cytocompatibility studies using osteoblast-like cells, MG63 showed good cell viability as well as adhesion for all Ti particles. Present results indicates that bioactive TiO₂ encapsulated Ti particles could be a candidate material to be useful as bone or dental cavity filler or bone cement for total hip replacement materials.