ABSTRACT
The improvement of bone cell (osteoblast) adhesion to artificial materials surfaces is of fundamental importance for the improvement of hip, knee, dental, and other bone-contacting implants. Today, metallic implants, especially made from titanium (Ti) and its alloys, are the state of the art [1]. Besides, implants made from poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) are considered as a possible alternative for certain purposes [2-5] because of their mechanical characteristics like stiffness and modulus which match better the characteristics of bone [2]. A further improvement
of bone cell attachment both to Ti and PEEK implants is still a challenging task although a number of successful surface modifications have been developed. In particular, improved control of surface chemical properties for acceleration of implant in-growth is of current interest. It has been shown that success of implantation procedure can be improved this way, i.e., by effectively enhancing bone apposition [6] and soft tissue integration [7]. In this special case, chemical modification of titanium with sulfuric and hydrochloric acids has been used to increase wettability of titanium dental implants [8]. Numerous other surface modification strategies have been developed including different types of surface activation and hydrophilization [9], coatings with calcium phosphates like hydroxyapatite (HA), and immobilization of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) by organic chemical groups (for instance, hydroxyl or carboxyl groups).
