In vitro cytocompatibility of a Zr-based metallic glass modified by laser surface texturing for potential implant applications

Abstract Existing studies have shown the benefit of laser surface texturing (LST) in promoting the cytocompatibility of traditional metallic biomaterials. Researchers have also reported the potential of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) as an alternative class of material for biomedical applications. However, investigations specifically focussed on studying the cytocompatibility of BMG surfaces processed with LST are still lacking. The present work demonstrated the feasibility of nanosecond LST as a method to modify the cytocompatibility of a Zr-based BMG material known as Vitreloy 105. Two different types of laser-induced surface patterns, namely grooves and dimples, were considered. Their respective influence on the resulting cell viability, attachment and morphology was studied and compared against the cytocompatibility of the original BMG surface. It was found that MG63 osteoblast-like cells on the groove-textured surface exhibited higher viability and better adhesion compared to those on the original and dimple-textured surfaces. Possible underlying mechanisms associated with LST, which can affect the in vitro cytocompatibility of Vitreloy 105 were discussed based on the induced changes to surface chemistry, wettability and roughness. It is suggested that the higher surface roughness, increased presence of metallic oxides and enhanced hydrophilicity of the groove-textured sample were the main contributors to its improved cytocompatibility.