Effect of ultraviolet-mediated photofunctionalization for bone formation around medical titanium mesh

Purpose The new technology of photofunctionalization with ultraviolet (UV) light for titanium implants has earned considerable attention. We hypothesized that UV light treatment would enhance bone formation on titanium mesh. Materials and Methods We implemented in vitro and in vivo experiments to examine the effectiveness of UV treatment for bone formation on titanium mesh surfaces. Titanium mesh for medical use was prepared as samples, which were autoclaved and stored under dark ambient conditions for 4 weeks. UV treatment was performed for 12 minutes. Carbon contamination, hydrophilicity, and protein adhesion of the titanium mesh surface were examined in an in vitro model. Bone tissue formation around the titanium mesh was observed in a rat femur bone model. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to examine differences between the untreated and UV-treated groups. P values of <.05 were considered significant. Results UV-mediated photofunctionalization reduced carbon contamination rates on the untreated titanium mesh surfaces. The hydrophobic surface of the untreated titanium mesh became superhydrophilic after UV-mediated photofunctionalization (P <.01). The amount of protein adsorbed onto the titanium was 1.5 to 3 times greater on the photofunctionalized titanium mesh surfaces than on the untreated titanium mesh surfaces (P <.01). In the animal experiment, the newly formed bone on the UV-treated titanium mesh was approximately 2.5 times greater than that on the untreated mesh (P <.05). Conclusions UV-mediated photofunctionalization is effective, as demonstrated by the enhanced bone tissue formation on the titanium mesh. Future studies will focus on bone augmentation using an UV-mediated photofunctionalized titanium implant and mesh.