Abstract
Titanium and tantalum have been widely employed in many load-bearing orthopaedic applications due to their excellent mechanical properties and corrosion stability. However, the problem associated with post implant infections persists even though considerable research and development efforts have been made. Infections could be minimized by designing an implant material that could have a less favourable environment surface for bacterial attachment which was known as the primary condition for any implant-associated infections. In this study, titanium and tantalum were mechanically polished and characterised by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, profilometry, and surface wettability to compare with unpolished surfaces (noted as as-received). To evaluate the extent of bacterial attachment on these surfaces, bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 was used. Quantification of bacterial attachment was done using confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate that surface roughness played a significant role in the adherence of P. aeruginosa to titanium and tantalum, while surface wettability property showed a little correlation with bacterial retention. Also, as-received and polished tantalum samples have fewer tendencies to bacterial attachment compared to their titanium counterpart.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Materials Innovation in Surface Engineering |
Publisher | Institute of Materials Engineering Australasia |
Pages | 71-77 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Volume | 35 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781876855369 |
Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Externally published | Yes |
Event | Materials Innovations in Surface Engineering Conference - Melbourne, VIC, Australia Duration: 18 Oct 2011 → 20 Oct 2011 |
Conference
Conference | Materials Innovations in Surface Engineering Conference |
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Country/Territory | Australia |
City | Melbourne, VIC |
Period | 18/10/11 → 20/10/11 |
Keywords
- Bacterial adhesion
- Patterning
- Escherichia coli (E. coli)
- Mechanical properties
- Scanning electron microscopy
- Surface roughness
- Tantalum
- Tissue engineering
- Titanium
- Wetting
- X ray spectroscopy