Effects of atomic ordering of Zirconium oxide nanomodification on stem cell differentiation

Abstract

The present study shows that the atomic ordering of ZrO2 thin films influences the osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The amorphous ZrO2 film produced a better hMSCs response than the bare Ti surfaces, characterized by a higher production of osteoblastic markers, suggesting that amorphous ZrO2 coatings may enhance bone formation around implants. Slight differences were observed for the surface properties of amorphous and nanocrystalline ZrO2 thin films, being significant the larger barrier properties of the amorphous film.

Keywords

• Osteoblast differentiation
• ZrO2 films
• Sputtering
• Atomic ordering