Effect of titanium surface roughness on adhesion and differentiation of osteoblasts

The success of an implant is determined by its integration into the tissue surrounding the biomaterial. Surface roughness is considered to influence the behavior of adherent cells. The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the effect of surface roughness on Saos-2 osteoblast-like cells. Titanium disks blasted with 75 µm aluminum oxide particles and machined titanium disks were prepared. Saos-2 were plated on the disks at a density of 50,000 cells per well in 48-well dishes. After 1 hour, 1 day, 6 days cell numbers were counted. One day, 6 days after plating, alkaline phosphatase(ALPase) activity was determined. Compared to experimental group, the number of cells was significantly higher on control group. The stimulatory effect of surface roughness on ALPase was more pronounced on the experimental group than on control group. These results demonstrate that surface roughness alters proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts. The results also suggest that implant surface roughness may play a role in determining phenotypic expression of cells.