Interrogating the Osteogenic Potential of Implant Surfaces : A Review of Current Assays.

The success of implantable devices relies heavily on their interaction with the host cells facilitating the osseointegration process. However, with so many new surface modifications, with subtly varying design parameters, assays can, with proper interpretation, provide valuable information for understanding cellular behavior. This review brings together pertinent experimental protocols available to researchers and discusses them in relationship to the development of the osteoblast phenotype during bone repair.