Effect of surface roughness on osteogenesis in vitro and osseointegration in vivo of carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone–nanohydroxyapatite composite

Abstract

Yi Deng,1,2 Xiaochen Liu,2 Anxiu Xu,3 Lixin Wang,4 Zuyuan Luo,2 Yunfei Zheng,1 Feng Deng,3 Jie Wei,5 Zhihui Tang,1 Shicheng Wei1–3 12nd Dental Center, Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Studies, School and Hospital of Stomatology, 2Center for Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 3Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, 4Department of Stomatology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 5Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, and Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China Abstract: As United States Food and Drug Administration-approved implantable material, carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFRPEEK) possesses an adjustable elastic modulus similar to cortical bone and is a prime candidate to replace surgical metallic implants. The bioinertness and inferior osteogenic properties of CFRPEEK, however, limit its clinical application as orthopedic/dental implants. In this study, CFRPEEK–nanohydroxyapatite ternary composites (PEEK/n-HA/CF) with variable surface roughness have been successfully fabricated. The effect of surface roughness on their in vitro cellular responses of osteoblast-like MG-63 cells (attachment, proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation) and in vivo osseointegration is evaluated. The results show that the hydrophilicity and the amount of Ca ions on the surface are significantly improved as the surface roughness of composite increases. In cell culture tests, the results reveal that the cell proliferation rate and the extent of osteogenic differentiation of cells are a function of the size of surface roughness. The composite with moderate surface roughness significantly increases cell attachment/proliferation and promotes the production of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium nodule formation compared with the other groups. More importantly, the PEEK/n-HA/CF implant with appropriate surface roughness exhibits remarkably enhanced bioactivity and osseointegration in vivo in the animal experiment. These findings will provide critical guidance for the design of CFRPEEK-based implants with optimal roughness to regulate cellular behaviors, and to enhance biocompability and osseointegration. Meanwhile, the PEEK/n-HA/CF ternary composite with optimal surface roughness might hold great potential as bioactive biomaterial for bone grafting and tissue engineering applications. Keywords: polyetheretherketone, tenary, biocomposite, bioactivity, bone formation