Fabrication of dense α-alumina layer on Ti-6Al-4V alloy hybrid for bearing surfaces of artificial hip joint.

Recent advances in hip replacements are focused towards producing reliable bearing surfaces to enhance their longevity. In this perspective, progressive attempts have been made to improve the wear resistance of polyethylene to eliminate osteolysis and mechanical reliability of brittle alumina ceramics, but in vain. It is proposed that both high wear resistance and mechanical reliability can be retained if a thin layer of dense alumina is formed onto high toughness Ti-6Al-4V alloy. For this purpose, we devised a unique methodology in which a layer of Al metal was deposited onto the Ti alloy substrate by cold spraying (CS), followed by a heat treatment to form Al3Ti reaction layer at their interface to improve adhesion and subsequent micro-arc oxidation (MAO) treatment to transform Al to alumina layer. An optimal MAO treatment of cold sprayed Al formed an adherent and dense α-alumina layer with high Vickers hardness matching with that of sintered alumina used as a femoral head. Structure-phase-property relationships in dense α-alumina layer have been revealed and discussed in the light of our research findings. The designed alumina/Ti alloy hybrid might be a potential candidate for reliable bearing surfaces of artificial hip joint.

In vitro heat generation by ferrimagnetic maghemite microspheres for hyperthermic treatment of cancer under an alternating magnetic field.

Ferrimagnetic materials can be expected to be useful as thermo seeds for hyperthermic treatment of cancer, especially where the cancer is located in deep parts of body, as they can generate heat by magnetic hysteretic loss when they are placed in an alternating magnetic field. Recently, it was reported that ferrimagnetic maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) microspheres 20-30 microm in diameter prepared in aqueous solution can show excellent heat generating ability. However, these microspheres have many cracks on their surfaces. In this study, the preparation conditions for the microspheres was further optimized in order to obtain crack-free ferrimagnetic microspheres, and the in vitro heat generation of the obtained microspheres was measured in an agar phantom under an alternating magnetic field. Crack-free gamma-Fe2O3 microspheres 20-30 microm in diameter were obtained successfully. Their saturation magnetization and coercive force were 68 emu g(-1) and 198 Oe, respectively. Their heat generation under an alternating magnetic field of 300 Oe at 100 kHz was estimated to be 42 W g(-1). The microspheres showed in vitro heat generation when they were dispersed in an agar phantom and placed under an alternating magnetic field. It is believed that these microspheres may be useful for the in situ hyperthermic treatment of cancer.

Enzymatic preparation of hollow magnetite microspheres for hyperthermic treatment of cancer.

Ferrimagnetic materials can be expected to be useful as thermal seeds for hyperthermic treatment of cancer, especially where the cancer is located in deep parts of body, as they can generate heat by magnetic hysteretic loss when they are placed in an alternating magnetic field. In this study, hollow magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) particles were prepared using an enzymatic reaction of urease. A hollow particle was obtained by using a Pasteur pipette. The particle was 500 microm in size and was composed of Fe(3)O(4). Its saturation magnetization and coercive force were 57 emuxg(-1) and 183 Oe, respectively. Its heat generation under an alternating magnetic field of 300 Oe at 100 kHz was estimated to be 45 Wxg(-1). Microspheres 30 microm in diameter were also successfully obtained by using a spray gun.

Preparation of ferrimagnetic magnetite microspheres for in situ hyperthermic treatment of cancer.

Ferrimagnetic microspheres 20-30 microm in diameter are useful as thermoseeds for inducing hyperthermia in cancers, especially for tumors located deep inside the body. The microspheres are entrapped in the capillary bed of the tumors when they are implanted through blood vessels and heat cancers locally by their hysteresis loss when placed under an alternating magnetic field. In the present study, preparation of magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) microspheres 20-30 microm in diameter was attempted by melting powders in high-frequency induction thermal plasma, and by precipitation from aqueous solution. The microspheres prepared by melting powders in high-frequency induction thermal plasma were composed of a large amount of Fe(3)O(4) and a small amount of wustite (FeO), and those subsequently heat treated at 600 degrees C for 1 h under 5.1 x 10(3) Pa were fully composed of Fe(3)O(4) 1 microm in size. The saturation magnetization and coercive force of the heat-treated microspheres were 92 emu g(-1) and 50 Oe, respectively. The heat generation of the heat-treated microspheres was estimated to be 10 Wg(-1), under 300 Oe and 100 kHz. The microspheres prepared by precipitation from aqueous solution consisted of beta-FeOOH, and those subsequently heat treated at 400 degrees C for 1 h in a 70% CO(2) + 30% H(2) atmosphere consisted of Fe(3)O(4) crystals 50 nm in size. The saturation magnetization and coercive force of the heat-treated microspheres were 53 emu g(-1) and 156 Oe, respectively. The heat generation of the heat-treated microspheres was estimated to be 41 Wg(-1), under 300 Oe and 100 kHz. The latter microspheres are believed to be promising thermoseeds for hyperthermic treatment of cancer.

Phase stability after aging and its influence on pin-on-disk wear properties of Ce-TZP/Al2O3 nanocomposite and conventional Y-TZP.

Recently zirconia/alumina composites have been examined by many researchers as the new generation of bearing materials in total joint replacements. In this study, the phase stability of a Ce-TZP/Al(2)O(3) nanocomposite and conventional Y-TZP after aging, and its influence on wear resistance, were investigated. Very slight phase transformation was observed in both types of ceramics 18 months after the implantation of Ce-TZP/Al(2)O(3) or Y-TZP samples into rabbit tibiae. However, Y-TZP showed marked phase transformation (approximately 80%) after aging in an autoclave (121 degrees C) for 190 h or in physiological saline at 62 degrees C for 18 months, whereas the new composite remained almost resistant to degradation. According to the results of self-pairing pin-on-disk wear tests using ceramic specimens with or without autoclave aging, the wear factor was almost the same between Ce-TZP/Al(2)O(3) samples with and without aging (6.74 +/- 0.36 x 10(-8) and 6.04 +/- 0.95 x 10(-8) mm(3)/Nm, respectively). In contrast, although non-aged Y-TZP had the lowest wear factor (4.88 +/- 0.51 x 10(-8) mm(3)/Nm) of all specimens tested, aged Y-TZP showed 10-fold greater wear than nonaged Y-TZP. The present study suggests that Ce-TZP/Al(2)O(3) nanocomposite has much greater phase stability than Y-TZP, and that its wear properties are not influenced by aging.

Ce-TZP/Al2O3 nanocomposite as a bearing material in total joint replacement.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the biocompatibility, phase stability, and wear properties of a newly developed Ce-TZP/Al(2)O(3) nanocomposite, as compared to conventional ceramics, and to determine whether the new composite could be used as a bearing material in total joint prostheses. In tests of mechanical properties, this composite showed significantly higher toughness than conventional Y-TZP. For biocompatibility tests, cylindrical specimens of both the Ce-TZP/Al(2)O(3) nanocomposite and monolithic alumina were implanted into the paraspinal muscles of male Wistar rats. The tissue reactions were almost the same, and at 24 weeks after implantation, thin fibrous capsules with almost no inflammation were observed around both of them. There were no significant differences in membrane thickness between the two ceramics. After hydrothermal treatment in 121 degrees C vapor for 18 h, the new composite showed complete resistance to aging degradation, whereas Y-TZP showed a phase transformation of 25.3 vol% (initial 0.4%) to the monoclinic form. According to the results of pin-on-disk tests, the wear rates of Ce-TZP/Al(2)O(3) nanocomposite and alumina were 0.55 +/- 0.04 x 10(-7) and 2.12 +/- 0.37 x 10(-7)mm(3)/Nm, respectively. The results of this study suggest that the Ce-TZP/Al(2)O(3) nanocomposite is a promising alternative ceramic component for total joint replacement.

Composites consisting of poly(methyl methacrylate) and alumina powder: an evaluation of their mechanical and biological properties.

We developed new composites consisting of comparatively high molecular weight poly(methyl methacrylate) (hPMMA) and delta-alumina powder or alpha-alumina powder (designated delta-APC and alpha-APC, respectively) that allowed direct bone formation on their surfaces in vivo. delta-Alumina powder was manufactured by the fusing and quenching of pulverized alumina powder. It was composed mainly of delta-crystal phases of alumina. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the static mechanical properties and biological properties of these composites. The hPMMA itself was used as a reference material. The bending strength and Young's modulus of both delta-APC and alpha-APC were significantly higher than those of hPMMA, and the alumina composites are believed to be strong enough for use under weight-bearing conditions. The three types of composites were packed into the intramedullary canals of rat tibiae to evaluate osteoconductivity, as determined by an affinity index. Rats were sacrificed 4 and 8 weeks after surgery. The affinity index, equal to the length of bone in direct contact with the composite surface and expressed as a percentage of the total length of the composite surface, was calculated for each composite at each interval. Histologically, new bone had formed along the surfaces of both delta-APC and alpha-APC within 4 weeks. The affinity indices for both delta-APC and alpha-APC increased significantly with time up to 8 weeks. At 8 weeks, the affinity index for delta-APC was significantly higher than the indices for alpha-APC and hPMMA. This study revealed that the excellent osteoconductivity of delta-APC was due to the delta-crystal phases of alumina and the high molecular weight of hPMMA. delta-APC shows promise as a base for developing a highly osteoconductive and mechanically strong biomaterial.

Apatite-forming ability of a zirconia/alumina nano-composite induced by chemical treatment.

Induction of an apatite-forming ability on a nano-composite of a ceria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Ce-TZP) and alumina (Al2O3) polycrystals via chemical treatment with aqueous solutions of H3PO4, H2SO4, HCl, or NaOH has been investigated. The Ce-TZP/Al2O3 composite is attractive as a load-bearing bone substitute because of its mechanical properties. The chemical treatments produced Zr-OH surface functional groups, which are known to be effective for apatite nucleation in a body environment. The composite, after chemical treatment, was shown to form a bonelike apatite layer when immersed in a simulated body fluid containing ion concentrations nearly equal to those in human blood plasma. This implies that it may form apatite in the living body and bond to living bone through the apatite layer. This type of bioactive Ce-TZP/Al2O3 composite is therefore expected to be useful as a bone substitute, even under load-bearing conditions.