Bioimplant surfaces: binding of fibronectin and fibroblast adhesion.

The adhesion of baby hamster kidney 21C/13 fibroblasts to surfaces of passivated titanium, carbon fibers, bioactive glasses B5 and B6, fibronectin-precoated passivated titanium, and fibronectin-precoated B6 was quantified. The order of adhesive cell avidity for the uncoated surfaces was passivated titanium (greatest), B6 and carbon fibers (intermediate), and B5 (least). Precoating with fibronectin enhanced the adhesive characteristics of fibroblasts on passivated titanium and B6 by 74% and 118%, respectively.

The diagnosis of loosening in total hip prostheses. Clinical, radiographic and scintigraphic investigation.

Based on the authors' clinical experience and a review of the literature, the methods used for the diagnosis of loosening in hip arthroprostheses are considered. Clinical and radiographic monitoring are essential but the authors believe that in suspected loosening it is particularly important to perform bone scintigraphy using Tc 99 M.D.

[Kinetics of cellular adhesion to different materials used in implants].

The authors expose their observations about the kinetics of cell adesion on two materials used as implants in orthopaedic surgery, AISI, 316 L steel and passivated titanium. The kinetics of cell attachment have been compared: an initial rapid increase of bound radioactivity was observed on passivated titanium (in 5 - 30 min) and after this rapid reaction the number of attached cells increased only slowly, during the following 30 min. After incubation of 90 min, almost all cells became attached.