A TPU research team with the support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBS) and the National Science Fund of Bulgaria (BNSF) are developing composite coatings for osseostimulative implants for osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis (ed. systemic disease invading all skeleton bones accompanied by the reduction of bone density and solidity, which leads to a high risk of bone fractures even being injured a little) is one of the most common ageing-associated chronic diseases often leading to serious complications and disability.
“Internal fixation using extramedullary or endosseous implants for osteoporosis patients is related to a high risk of complications due to unstable internal implant insertion. The unstable internal implant insertion can be caused by the weakening of a bond between an implant and a bone due to the bone resorption in contact points. Therefore, in most cases, osteoporosis patients require another surgical intervention. Osteoporosis also occurs in the case of revision surgeries of joint implants. Although in recent years, a lot of new bioactive materials with good osteogenic activity have been proposed, their application in osteoporosis treatment is limited due to insufficient anti-osteoporosis response. In order to improve international fixation and bone fracture healing, as well as to encourage tissue regeneration of osteoporosis patients, a series of methods were proposed.
One of them is the deposition of calcium phosphate coatings on the surface of titanium implants.
Moreover, creation of hybrid coatings for implants based on calcium phosphates with various additives and biodegradable polymer containing anti-osteoporosis medication is highly likely what allows an implant to integrate into bone tissue,”
says Sergey Tverdokhelbov, associate professor of the TPU Weinberg Research Center and head of the international research project.
Received by the TPU researchers according to the results of the RFBR and BNSF the grant entitled Development of Composite Coatings of Osseostimulative Implants No. 20-53-18003 is designed for two years. During the first year, the research team selected a formation mode of osseostimulative coatings on the titanium surface via plasma electrolytic oxidation using electrolytes containing calcium, phosphorus, strontium and magnesium.
“Then the osseostimulative implants were formed using the selected modes on the surface of titanium implants via plasma electrolytic oxidation. Polymers and pharmaceutical drugs were also chosen for the creation of biodegradable polymer composite materials with anti-osteoporosis properties, as well as a method of creation of biodegradable polymer composite materials were developed. Using the developed method, hybrid composite coatings of osseostimulative implants were produced and their properties were researched,” says Anna Kozelskaya, research fellow of the TPU Weinberg Research Center and a project member.
Jointly with the TPU researchers, Tomsk Cancer Research Institute and the Roumen Tsanev Institute of Molecular Biology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences took part in the conducted research. The experts of Tomsk Cancer Research Institute carried out research of the samples in several characteristics: cytotoxity, cell adhesion, differentiation at the stage of osteoblast formation on the osteosarcoma cell lines (HOS).
“A few batches of the samples with hybrid composite materials were sent for conducting research to our partners in the Laboratory of Medical and Biological Research of the Institute of Molecular Biology. They are continuing to research cell viability when coculturing them with the provided samples. The results have shown that cell viability is higher on the samples with the composite coatings containing Lovastatin,” explains Anna Kozelskaya.
In the future, the research team is intending to conduct research on promising coatings selected by the results of the first stage to specify an optimal concentration of the drug and the overall effect of the composite coatings on osseointegration properties of the implants.