A preliminary Investigation of Surface Micro Modification Effects on the Biocompatibility of 316L Stainless Steel

Abstract

Effects of surface properties such as roughness and surface energy are critical for determining the biocompatibility of all types of biomaterials, as in the case of biomedical alloys. Recently, microstructure induced surface energy changes have started attracting attention in surface property related biocompatibility analysis of metals. The current study mainly aims to focus on the effects of surface micro modification on the biocompatibility of metallic biomaterials, in order to get an understanding of the underlying mechanisms that affect surface properties and biocompatibility. For this purpose, a preliminary biocompatibility analysis was conducted on a conventional biomedical alloy; 316L stainless steel, whose surface was modified by forming micro-deformation areas of different patterns. The results of this study indicated that, in addition to surface roughness, micro-deformation pattern characteristics are also very critical parameters in terms of determining cellular response, which also affect surface energy by inducing microstructural mechanisms.