Anodized nanotubular titanium as novel drug eluting orthopedic implants

MEDI 124

Chang Yao, chang_yao@brown.edu, Division of Engineering, Brown University, 182 Hope St, Providence, RI 02912 and Thomas J. Webster, Thomas_Webster@Brown.edu, Division of Engineering and Orthopedics, Brown University, 182 Hope Street, Barus and Holley Rm 224, Providence, RI 02912.
Titanium-based materials are widely used for orthopedic implants, such as hip and knee replacements. The weakness in these implants is that their surfaces are not bioactive enough to support adequate new bone bonding with the implants. For this reason, an electrochemical method known as anodization was used to modify the titanium surface properties. Basically, by using fluorine-containing electrolyte, nanotubular structures were obtained all over the titanium surface instead of plain micro-rough surfaces before anodization. In vitro studies revealed enhanced osteoblast adhesion and long term functions on such anodized titanium compared to unanodized titanium. For drug loading purposes, anodized titanium was further chemically modified to possess varied surface wettability. Then, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drugs were loaded into the titanium nanotube structures by physical soaking and electro-deposition. In this way, a controlled drug release was achieved and will be beneficial for new bone growth after implantation.
 

Poster Session
7:00 PM-9:00 PM, Sunday, August 19, 2007 BCEC -- Exhibit Hall - B2, Poster

Division of Medicinal Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007