Antimicrobial and Osteogenic Properties of Silver-Ion-Implanted Stainless Steel

Prevention of implant loosening and infection is crucial to orthopedic and dental surgeries. In this work, the surface of stainless steel (SS) was modified by silver-sourced plasma immersion ion implantation (Ag-PIII). Metallic silver nanoparticles with various diameters and distributions were fabricated on the SS surfaces after treatment with Ag-PIII for 0.5 and 1.5 h, respectively. The osteogenic activity and antimicrobial properties of SS before and after Ag-PIII treatment were evaluated using in vitro and in vivo tests. The results demonstrated that Ag-PIII treatment not only promoted the antibacterial activity of SS but also enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells.