In vivo study of porous NiTi cryotweezers for bone tissue cryotherapy.

This study examined the effects of liquid nitrogen vapor on osteogenesis in the rabbit femur. Cryotweezers made of porous nickel titanium alloy (nitinol or NiTi) obtained by self-propagating high temperature synthesis were used in this experiment. The porous structure of the cryotweezers allows them to hold up to 10 g of liquid nitrogen after being immersed for 2 min, which completely evaporates after 160 s. To study the effects of liquid nitrogen evaporation on osteogenesis, a rabbit femur was perforated. The formed holes were subjected to cryotherapy with varying exposure times. It was found that a 3 s exposure time stimulates osteogenesis, which was manifested in a greater number of osteoblasts in the regenerate compared to the control sample without liquid nitrogen. It was observed that increasing the exposure to 6, 9 or 12 s had a destructive effect, to varying degrees. The most severe damage was exerted by a 12 s exposure, which resulted in the formation of osteonecrosis areas. In the samples exposed to 6 and 9 s of cryotherapy, destruction of the cytoplasm of osteocytes and osteoclasts was observed.

Cyclic Stability of Two-Way Shape Memory Effect in Aged Ni50.3Ti32.2Hf17.5 Polycrystals after Various Thermomechanical Treatments.

In the present paper, the cyclic stability of the high-temperature two-way shape memory effect was studied in high-strength Ni50.3Ti32.2Hf17.5 polycrystals after various thermomechanical treatments-training (thermocycling under stress) and stress-induced martensite aging. The effect of training and stress-induced martensite aging on the microstructure, the two-way shape memory effect, and its cyclic stability was determined. It was found out that both thermomechanical treatments induce the high-temperature two-way shape memory effect at T > 373 K, with a strain of 1.5% in tension. The influence of cyclic tests (up to 100 stress-free cycles of cooling/heating) on the two-way shape memory effect strain, the transformation temperatures, and the microstructure was established. Different degradation mechanisms of the two-way shape memory effect were established after thermocycling and stress-induced martensite aging.

Properties of Coatings Based on Calcium Phosphate and Their Effect on Cytocompatibility and Bioactivity of Titanium Nickelide.

Coatings based on calcium phosphate with thicknesses of 0.5 and 2 µm were obtained by high-frequency magnetron sputtering on NiTi substrates in an argon atmosphere. The coating was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and in vitro cytocompatibility and bioactivity studies. A biphasic coating of tricalcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2) and hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) with a 100% degree of crystallinity was formed on the surface. The layer enriched in calcium, phosphorus, and oxygen was observed using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the surface structure is homogeneous without visible defects. The 2 µm thick coating obtained by sputtering with a deposition time of 4 h and a deposition rate of 0.43 µm/h is uniform, contains the highest amount of the calcium phosphate phase, and is most suitable for the faster growth of cells and accelerated formation of apatite layers. Samples with calcium phosphate coatings do not cause hemolysis and have a low cytotoxicity index. The results of immersion in a solution simulating body fluid show that NiTi with the biphasic coating promotes apatite growth, which is beneficial for biological activity.

Engineered Fibrous NiTi Scaffolds with Cultured Hepatocytes for Liver Regeneration in Rats.

At present, the use of alternative systems to replenish the lost functions of hepatic metabolism and partial replacement of liver organ failure is relevant, due to an increase in the incidence of various liver disorders, insufficiency, and cost of organs for transplantation, as well as the high cost of using the artificial liver systems. The development of low-cost intracorporeal systems for maintaining hepatic metabolism using tissue engineering, as a bridge before liver transplantation or completely replacing liver function, deserves special attention. In vivo applications of intracorporeal fibrous nickel-titanium scaffolds (FNTSs) with cultured hepatocytes are described. Hepatocytes cultured in FNTSs are superior to their injections in terms of liver function, survival time, and recovery in a CCl4-induced cirrhosis rats' model. 232 animals were divided into 5 groups: control, CCl4-induced cirrhosis, CCl4-induced cirrhosis followed by implantation of cell-free FNTSs (sham surgery), CCl4-induced cirrhosis followed by infusion of hepatocytes (2 mL, 107 cells/mL), and CCl4-induced cirrhosis followed by FNTS implantation with hepatocytes. Restoration of hepatocyte function in the FNTS implantation with the hepatocytes group was accompanied by a significant decrease in the level of aspartate aminotransferase (AsAT) in blood serum compared to the cirrhosis group. A significant decrease in the level of AsAT was noted after 15 days in the infused hepatocytes group. However, on the 30th day, the AsAT level increased and was close to the cirrhosis group due to the short-term effect after the introduction of hepatocytes without a scaffold. The changes in alanine aminotransferase (AlAT), alkaline phosphatase (AlP), total and direct bilirubin, serum protein, triacylglycerol, lactate, albumin, and lipoproteins were similar to those in AsAT. The survival time of animals was significantly longer in the FNTS implantation with hepatocytes group. The obtained results showed the scaffolds' ability to support hepatocellular metabolism. The development of hepatocytes in FNTS was studied in vivo using 12 animals using scanning electron microscopy. Hepatocytes demonstrated good adhesion to the scaffold wireframe and survival in allogeneic conditions. Mature tissue, including cellular and fibrous, filled the scaffold space by 98% in 28 days. The study shows the extent to which an implantable "auxiliary liver" compensates for the lack of liver function without replacement in rats.

Regularities in the Evolution of Thermoelastic Martensitic Transformations during Cooling/Heating in the Free State and under Load of Titanium Nickelide Alloyed with Niobium.

This article presents the results of studies of the features of the development of thermoelastic martensitic transformations during cooling/heating in the free state and under load of Ti50Ni49.7-XNbXMo0.3 alloys (X = 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 at% Nb) with shape memory effects. Using X-ray diffraction analysis, it was found that all the alloys studied at room temperature contained a multiphase mixture consisting of intermetallic compounds with the TiNi (B2, B19'), Ni56Ti29Nb15, and Ti2Ni compositions. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the microstructure of TiNi (Nb,Mo) alloys and it was found that the distribution of fine Ni56Ti29Nb15 particles in the matrix depends significantly on the concentration of the alloying element. A correlation was established between changes in the structural-phase state in TiNi (Nb,Mo) alloys and the occurrence of the B2↔B19' martensitic transition in the free state and under load. Based on physical and mechanical studies, the temperature ranges of the martensitic transformations (MT) in the free state and under load were established. Based on the thermodynamic description of the MT and the analysis of the characteristic temperatures of the MT, it was found that the MT mechanism is strongly dependent on the concentration of the alloying element.

Thickness Effects on the Martensite Transformations and Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystalline NiTi Wires.

This paper studied the features of the martensitic transformations and mechanical properties of 40, 60, and 90 µm thick NiTi wires with nanocrystalline B2 structures. It was established that the wires were composites and consisted of a TiNi matrix and a TiO2 + TiNi3 surface layer. Structural methods showed that the wire matrix was formed by grains of up to 20 nm in size. The method of measuring the electrical resistivity during cooling and heating revealed a two-stage nature of the martensitic transformation. Cyclic loading-unloading demonstrated that all the samples exhibited superelasticity effects and completely restored their shape when unloaded from a 4-8% relative strain at room temperature. An increase in mechanical characteristics with respect to the wire thickness was experimentally established. This was due to the change in the composition of the TiNi matrix during drawing.

Softening Effects in Biological Tissues and NiTi Knitwear during Cyclic Loading.

Samples of skin, tendons, muscles, and knitwear composed of NiTi wire are studied by uniaxial cyclic tension and stretching to rupture. The metal knitted mesh behaves similar to a superelastic material when stretched, similar to soft biological tissues. The superelasticity effect was found in NiTi wire, but not in the mesh composed of it. A softening effect similar to biological tissues is observed during the cyclic stretching of the mesh. The mechanical behavior of the NiTi mesh is similar to the biomechanical behavior of biological tissues. The discovered superelastic effects allow developing criteria for the selection and evaluation of mesh materials composed of titanium nickelide for soft tissue reconstructive surgery.