RESUMEN
Surface design plays a critical role in determining the integration of dental implants with bone tissue. Femtosecond laser-texturing has emerged as a breakthrough technology offering excellent uniformity and reproducibility in implant surface features. However, when compared to state-of-the-art sandblasted and acid-etched surfaces, laser-textured surface designs typically underperform in terms of osseointegration. This study investigated the capacity of a bio-inspired femtosecond laser-textured surface design to enhance osseointegration compared to state-of-the-art sandblasted & acid-etched surfaces. Laser-texturing facilitates the production of an organized trabeculae-like microarchitecture with superimposed nano-scale laser-induced periodic surface structures on both 2D and 3D samples of titanium-zirconium-alloy. Following a boiling treatment to modify the surface chemistry, improving wettability to a contact angle of 10°, laser-textured surfaces enhance fibrin network formation when in contact with human whole blood, comparable to state-of-the-art surfaces. In vitro experiments demonstrate that laser-textured surfaces significantly outperform state-of-the-art surfaces with a 2.5-fold higher level of mineralization by bone progenitor cells after 28 days of culture. Furthermore, in vivo evaluations reveal superior biomechanical integration of laser-textured surfaces after 28 days of implantation. Notably, during abiological pull-out tests, laser-textured surfaces exhibit comparable performance, suggesting that the observed enhanced osseointegration is primarily driven by the biological response to the surface. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
RESUMEN
Following biomaterial implantation, a failure to resolve inflammation during the formation of a fracture hematoma can significantly limit the biomaterial's ability to facilitate bone regeneration. This study aims to combine the immunomodulatory and osteogenic effects of BMP-7 and IL-10 with the regenerative capacity of collagen-hydroxyapatite (CHA) scaffolds to enhance in vitro mineralization in a hematoma-like environment. Incubation of CHA scaffolds with human whole blood leads to rapid adsorption of fibrinogen, significant stiffening of the scaffold, and the formation of a hematoma-like environment characterized by a limited capacity to support the infiltration of human bone progenitor cells, a significant upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins, and significantly reduced osteoconductivity. CHA scaffolds functionalized with BMP-7 and IL-10 significantly downregulate the production of key inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, and leptin, creating a more permissive environment for mineralization, ultimately enhancing the biomaterial's osteoconductivity. In conclusion, targeting the onset of inflammation in the early phase of bone healing using BMP-7 and IL-10 functionalized CHA scaffolds is a promising approach to effectively downregulate inflammatory processes, while fostering a more permissive environment for bone regeneration.
