In vitro evaluation of different heat-treated radio frequency magnetron sputtered calcium phosphate coatings

Objectives: Surface chemical compositions, such as calcium/phosphorus ratio and phase content, have a strong influence on the bioactivity and biocompatibility of calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings as applied on orthopedic and dental implants. Material and methods: Hydroxylapatite (HA) and dicalcium pyrophosphate (DCPP) coatings were prepared on titanium substrates by RF magnetron sputter deposition. The surfaces were left as‐prepared (amorphous HA coating; A‐HA, amorphous DCPP coating; A‐DCPP) or heat treated with: infrared (IR) at 550°C (I‐HA) or at 650°C (I‐DCPP), and a water steam at 140°C (S‐HA and S‐DCPP). The surface changes of these coatings were determined after incubation in simulated body fluid (SBF). Also, the growth of rat bone marrow cells (RBM) was studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: Both IR and water steam heat treatment changed the sputter‐deposited coatings from the amorphous into the crystalline phase. As‐prepared amorphous coatings dissolved partially in SBF within 4 weeks of incubation, while heat‐treated coatings supported the deposition of a precipitate, i.e., carbonated apatite on both I‐HA and S‐HA specimens, and tricalciumphosphate on the I‐DCPP and S‐DCPP specimens. The Ca/P ratio of the A‐HA, I‐HA, S‐HA, A‐DCPP, I‐DCPP and S‐DCPP coatings changed, respectively, from 1.98 to 1.12, 2.01 to 1.76, 1.91 to 1.68, 0.76 to 1.23, 0.76 to 1.26 and 1.62 to 1.55 after 4 weeks of incubation in SBF. Finally, the RBM cells grew well on all heat‐treated coatings, but showed different mineralization morphology during cell culturing. Conclusion: The different heat‐treatment procedures for the sputtered HA and DCPP coatings influenced the surface characteristics of these coatings, whereby a combination of crystallinity and specific phase composition (Ca/P ratio) strongly affected their in vitro bioactivity.