Surface analysis of commercially pure titanium implant retrieved from rat bone. Part 1: initial biological response of sandblasted surface.

To gain insight on the early biological response to commercial pure titanium (cpTi), the surface properties of cpTi implants retrieved from rat bone were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). To this end, semi-cylindrical bullets, 1.1 mm in diameter and 3.5 mm in length, were implanted into the femurs of Wistar rats and then retrieved after either 3 hours or 7 days. Regardless of implantation interval, elements of Ti, O, C, and N were observed on the retrieved implants and that the thickness of the adsorbed film (mainly protein) was estimated to be about 2.5 nm. Small amounts of both Ca and P were also detected, whereby the Ca/P atomic ratios after 3 hours and 7 days were very small compared to that of hydroxyapatite. Furthermore, no correlation was found between the Ca and P distributions in the element maps. In conclusion, no calcium phosphate compounds were formed on the implant in vivo after 7 days.