Osseointegration is crucial for the long-term success of dental implants. To enhance this process, titanium alloys are often subjected to various surface treatments that promote osteogenic differentiation. Among these techniques, the use of femtosecond lasers (FSL) has proven effective in generating precise and reproducible surface patterns on titanium, avoiding thermal damage and chemical contamination.
In previous studies, laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) with radial orientation on flat titanium surfaces were identified as having high osteogenic potential. However, nanoscale texturing is a time-consuming process. This study focused on reducing the time required to generate radial LIPSS and applying this process to commercial dental screws using laser beam engineering techniques. The primary objective was to maintain or improve the osteogenic properties demonstrated on flat surfaces while adjusting the laser beam diameters and ensuring that the complete texturing of a dental screw did not exceed one minute.
Initially, flat surfaces were textured using laser beams with different diameters, producing surface impacts of 24 μm, 80 μm, and 180 μm, referred to as R24, R80, and R180, respectively. The osteogenic performance of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on these textured surfaces was compared to polished control surfaces. Osteogenic evaluation included cell/matrix imaging techniques, qRT-PCR, and quantification of mineral deposition. All textured surfaces showed enhanced osteogenic potential compared to the control surfaces, with the R180 surface demonstrating significantly superior efficacy.
Due to these results, the R180 pattern was selected for application on dental screws. The osteogenic activity of R180-textured screws was compared to that of non-textured screws. Notably, applying the R180 pattern to an entire screw required only 40 seconds and retained high osteogenic potential.
In conclusion, FSL technology successfully enhanced the osteogenic potential of dental implants by optimizing and scaling the surface texturing process for medical devices.
Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.11521
