Microbiological and Cellular Evaluation of a Fluorine-Phosphorus-Doped Titanium Alloy, a Novel Antibacterial and Osteostimulatory Biomaterial with Potential Applications in Orthopedic Surgery

Abstract

This work evaluates F-P-doped bNT Ti-6Al-4V from microbiological and cellular approaches. The bacterial results highlight that the antibacterial ability of bNT Ti-6Al-4V is the result of a combination of antiadhesive and bactericidal effects exerted by Al released from the alloy. The cell results highlight that F-P bNT Ti-6Al-4V alloy increases osseointegration due to modification of the chemical composition of the alloy resulting from P incorporation and not due to the nanostructure, as reported previously. A key finding was the detection of Al release from inside the bNT Ti-6Al-4V nanostructures, a result of the nanostructure growth during the anodizing process that is in part responsible for its bactericidal effect.