The osteogenic effects of zirconia and titanium surfaces on human osteoblasts

The search for optimal implant materials that ensure rapid osseointegration, long-term stability, and biocompatibility remains a central focus in both dental and orthopedic research. Titanium has long been regarded as the gold standard for implant material; however, zirconia-based materials have emerged as promising alternatives, offering advantages such as superior esthetics, excellent biocompatibility, and favorable mechanical properties. This study investigates the biological responses of normal human osteoblasts cultured on titanium and zirconia surfaces, focusing on key cellular events including attachment, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and osteocalcin expression over a 21-day period. Quantitative analysis revealed that zirconia surfaces supported equal or superior early-stage cellular responses compared to titanium, particularly in attachment efficiency and proliferation rates. While both titanium and zirconia promoted significantly elevation of ALP activity relative to controls, titanium surfaces showed marginally higher late-stage osteocalcin expression. These findings highlight the potential of zirconia-based materials to serve as effective alternatives to titanium in implant applications, particularly in cases where esthetics and early osseointegration are critical. Moreover, the study emphasizes the need for further optimization of zirconia surfaces—through modifications such as nanostructuring and biofunctionalization—to enhance late-stage osteogenic outcomes. This work contributes to a better understanding of material-specific effects on osteoblast behavior and provides valuable insights for the design of next-generation implant materials with improved biological and clinical performance.

Author dc:creator

• Ratchatasupak, Khunnakrit

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Chou, Laisheng, Dr.

• Dentistry

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2144/50904

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.bu.edu:2144/50904