Enhanced Hydroxyapatite Growth and Osteogenic Activity on Polydopamine Coated Ti Implants

Titanium (Ti) and its alloy are widely used in biomedical implant but the poor bioactivity of Ti restricts some direct applications. Polydopamine (PDA), a functional polymeric substance mimicking the mussel adhesive protein, is deposited on Ti surface to improve the bioactivity by means of a mild and facile technique employing an alkaline dopamine solution. The PDA coated Ti implant accelerates nucleation and growth of hydroxyapatite (HAP), enhances osteoblast cell adhesion and proliferation, and improves the ALP activity thus having promising biomedical applications.