Surface morphology, bioactivity, and antibacterial studies of pulsed laser deposited hydroxyapatite coatings on Stainless Steel 254 for orthopedic implant applications

Abstract

Coating of hydroxyapatite using the pulsed laser deposition technique, on medical grade UNS S31254 stainless steel (254SS), to yield a biomaterial for potential orthopedic implant applications, is unreported so far in the literature. In this paper, the pulsed laser deposition process was used to improve the physiological response of 254SS. The surface morphology of the deposited hydroxyapatite coatings was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, while the phase composition of the deposited hydroxyapatite coatings was determined using the X-ray diffraction method. The thickness and adhesive strength of the hydroxyapatite coatings were determined using an ellipsometer and a tensometer, respectively. The antibacterial efficacy of the deposited hydroxyapatite coatings was confirmed using the modern technique of fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Finally, the bioactivity of hydroxyapatite coatings was investigated by conducting immersion test in simulated body fluid environment. The scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy results revealed higher (∼8 nm) average surface roughness, which is likely to facilitate better osseointegration. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that postdeposition annealing is essential to achieve the desired crystallinity and uniformity of coatings. Tensile pull-out tests confirmed adhesive strength of hydroxyapatite coatings beyond the standard expected values. Immersion tests inferred high bioactivity of pulsed laser deposition hydroxyapatite coatings. The promising results obtained in this research signify the potential application of hydroxyapatite coatings in orthopedic implants.