A simple method for enhancing cell adhesion to hydroxyapatite surface

Abstract

Objectives: Increase cell adhesion on hydroxyapatite (HA) surface, in a simple, fast and inexpensive way.Material and methods: Hydroxyapatite powder was immersed into deionized water for 15 days, dried and pressed into discs. On those discs, pre-osteoblasts cells were cultured for 30 min and 24 h, and adhesion was analyzed by MTT reduction.Results: The results show that HA treatment in equilibrium with water drastically increases cell adhesion when compared with cultures on HA with no treatment. The results also show that one essential factor required for a complete modification of HA is the amount of time of immersion in water.Conclusions: The work presented here suggests a new, simple and effective method to improve the success of different implants. The method is simple, inexpensive and can be used in the daily routine of different contexts where implants are used, from bone substitution to dental procedures. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.