Enhanced antioxidant capability and osteogenic property of medical titanium by cerium plasma immersion ion implantation

Titanium and its alloys have been widely used as orthopedic and dental implants. However, during practical use, wear debris and surface corrosion will cause the overproduction of reactive oxygen species leading to an inflammatory reaction, which has detrimental effects on osteogenesis around the titanium implants. To solve this problem, in this work, cerium modified titanium surface was constructed by plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) technology. The mechanical property, corrosion resistance, antioxidant capability, and osteogenic properties of modified titanium were systematically studied. The results indicate that surface hardness and corrosion resistance of modified titanium are markedly improved and the reactive oxygen species level is reduced. Moreover, cell spreading, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase, and collagen secretion of rBMSCs on modified titanium surfaces are improved.