The principal investigator and his colleagues with complementary backgrounds will study surface engineering of metallic implants. The focus of the work is to coat surfaces of these implants with calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA). This is the biological counterpart of the mineral hydroxyapatite (HA). CDHA occurs in mammalian teeth or bone and helps in direct bonding of bone to the implant. The process uses simulated body fluids (SBFs) as the coating medium. Both as-prepared and as-coated surfaces are characterized using many different techniques. The in vitro response of bovine osteoblasts on the coated surfaces is determined. Correlation between processing parameters, surface characteristics, and osteoblast response is being determined.
The project has vital societal roles to play. Over the next several decades, the vast majority of the "Baby Boomer" population will use some kind of implant in hips, knees, teeth, maxillofacial reconstruction, and other applications. This research utilizes the newly developed concepts of "Materials and Manufacturing" and "Biotechnology" to fabricate improved implants with greater reliability and less risk of infection. Another mission is to train and mentor students at various levels in the area of "Biomaterials". Students of several levels (K-12, 2-year colleges) should benefit from this project via formal and informal teaching paths. From that viewpoint, the team is working with local HBCU, two-year technical colleges, middle and high schools.
