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2022 (English)In: Journal of Functional Biomaterials, E-ISSN 2079-4983, Vol. 13, no 3, article id 129Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Silicon nitride (Si3N4) is a promising biomaterial, currently used in spinal fusion implants. Such implants should result in high vertebral union rates without major complications. However, pseudarthrosis remains an important complication that could lead to a need for implant replacement. Making silicon nitride implants more bioactive could lead to higher fusion rates, and reduce the incidence of pseudarthrosis. In this study, it was hypothesized that creating a highly negatively charged Si3N4 surface would enhance its bioactivity without affecting the antibacterial nature of the material. To this end, samples were thermally, chemically, and thermochemically treated. Apatite formation was examined for a 21-day immersion period as an in-vitro estimate of bioactivity. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria were inoculated on the surface of the samples, and their viability was investigated. It was found that the thermochemically and chemically treated samples exhibited enhanced bioactivity, as demonstrated by the increased spontaneous formation of apatite on their surface. All modified samples showed a reduction in the bacterial population; however, no statistically significant differences were noticed between groups. This study successfully demonstrated a simple method to improve the in vitro bioactivity of Si3N4 implants while maintaining the bacteriostatic properties.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI, 2022
Keywords
bioactivity, silicon nitride, surfaces, antibacterial, biomedical
National Category
Biomaterials Science Medical Materials Nano Technology
Research subject
Engineering Science with specialization in Nanotechnology and Functional Materials
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-486395 (URN)10.3390/jfb13030129 (DOI)000857670200001 ()36135564 (PubMedID)
Funder
EU, Horizon 2020, 812765
2022-10-102022-10-102025-02-09Bibliographically approved