• Berndt, Christopher C.
• Mediaswanti, Kun
• Hasan, Jafar
• Ivanova, Elena P.
• Wen, Cuie
• Wang, James
• Malherbe, Francois

Abstract

<p>Titanium and titanium alloys have been widely employed in many load-bearing orthopaedic applications due to their excellent strength and corrosion resistance. However, postimplantation infections might occur even though considerable studies have been made. Choosing a bio-friendly alloying element is one way to reduce infection risk. The aim of this study is to evaluate the extent of bacterial attachment on titanium, tantalum, niobium and tin surfaces. Two pathogenic bacterial strains, namely Staphylococcus aureus CIP 65.8 ^T and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, were used in this study. Quantification of bacterial attachment was performed using scanning electron microscopy. Results indicated that the surface chemistry and topography of the investigated materials significantly influence the degree of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus adhesion; however, surface wettability did not show a significant impact upon bacterial retention. In this study, tin was shown to be the most attractive material for bacteria adhesion but tantalum limits the bacterial adhesion. Therefore, it is suggested to limit the amount of tin as an titanium alloying element due to its nature to attract P. aeruginosa and S. aureus adhesion.</p>

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• surface
• corrosion
• scanning electron microscopy
• strength
• titanium
• titanium alloy
• tin
• tantalum
• niobium