The success of long-term transcutaneous implants depends on dermal attachment to prevent downgrowth of the epithelium and infection. Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings and fibronectin (Fn) have independently been shown to regulate fibroblast activity and improve attachment. In an attempt to enhance this phenomenon we adsorbed Fn onto HA-coated substrates. Our study was designed to test the hypothesis that adsorption of Fn onto HA produces a surface that will increase the attachment of dermal fibroblasts better than HA alone or titanium alloy controls. . Iodinated Fn was used to investigate the durability of the protein coating and a bioassay using human dermal fibroblasts was performed to assess the effects of the coating on cell attachment. Cell attachment data were compared with those for HA alone and titanium alloy controls at one, four and 24 hours. Protein attachment peaked within one hour of incubation and the maximum binding efficiency was achieved with an initial droplet of 1000 ng. We showed that after 24 hours one-fifth of the initial Fn coating remained on the substrates, and this resulted in a significant, three-, four-, and sevenfold increase in dermal fibroblast attachment strength compared to uncoated controls at one, four and 24 hours, respectively

We used demineralised bone matrix (DBM) to augment re-attachment of tendon to a metal prosthesis in an in vivo ovine model of reconstruction of the extensor mechanism at the knee. We hypothesised that augmentation of the tendon-implant interface with DBM would enhance the functional and histological outcomes as compared with previously reported control reconstructions without DBM. Function was assessed at six and 12 weeks postoperatively, and histological examination was undertaken at 12 weeks.

A significant increase of 23.5% was observed in functional weight-bearing at six weeks in the DBM-augmented group compared with non-augmented controls (p = 0.004). By 12 weeks augmentation with DBM resulted in regeneration of a more direct-type enthesis, with regions of fibrocartilage, mineralised fibrocartilage and bone. In the controls the interface was predominantly indirect, with the tendon attached to the bone graft-hydroxyapatite base plate by perforating collagen fibres.

The effect of zoledronic acid on bone ingrowth was examined in an animal model in which porous tantalum implants were placed bilaterally within the ulnae of seven dogs. Zoledronic acid in saline was administered via a single post-operative intravenous injection at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg. The ulnae were harvested six weeks after surgery. Undecalcified transverse histological sections of the implant-bone interfaces were imaged with backscattered scanning electron microscopy and the percentage of available pore space that was filled with new bone was calculated. The mean extent of bone ingrowth was 6.6% for the control implants and 12.2% for the zoledronic acid-treated implants, an absolute difference of 5.6% (95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 10.1) and a relative difference of 85% which was statistically significant. Individual islands of new bone formation within the implant pores were similar in number in both groups but were 69% larger in the zoledronic acid-treated group. The bisphosphonate zoledronic acid should be further investigated for use in accelerating or enhancing the biological fixation of implants to bone.

We have studied the beneficial effects of a hydroxyapatite (HA) coating on the prevention of the migration of wear debris along the implant-bone interface. We implanted a loaded HA-coated implant and a non-coated grit-blasted titanium alloy (Ti) implant in each distal femoral condyle of eight Labrador dogs. The test implant was surrounded by a gap communicating with the joint space and allowing access of joint fluid to the implant-bone interface. We injected polyethylene (PE) particles into the right knee three weeks after surgery and repeated this weekly for the following five weeks. The left knee received sham injections. The animals were killed eight weeks after surgery. Specimens from the implant-bone interface were examined under plain and polarised light. Only a few particles were found around HA-coated implants, but around Ti implants there was a large amount of particles. HA-coated implants had approximately 35% bone ingrowth, whereas Ti implants had virtually no bone ingrowth and were surrounded by a fibrous membrane. Our findings suggest that HA coating of implants is able to inhibit peri-implant migration of PE particles by creating a seal of tightly-bonded bone on the surface of the implant

We investigated the implant-bone interface around one design of femoral stem, proximally coated with either a plasma-sprayed porous coating (plain porous) or a hydroxyapatite porous coating (porous HA), or which had been grit-blasted (Interlok). Of 165 patients implanted with a Bimetric hip hemiarthroplasty (Biomet, Bridgend, UK) specimens were retrieved from 58 at post-mortem. We estimated ingrowth and attachment of bone to the surface of the implant in 21 of these, eight plain porous, seven porous HA and six Interlok, using image analysis and light morphometric techniques. The amount of HA coating was also quantified. There was significantly more ingrowth (p = 0.012) and attachment of bone (p > 0.05) to the porous HA surface (mean bone ingrowth 29.093 ± 2.019%; mean bone attachment 37.287 ± 2.489%) than to the plain porous surface (mean bone ingrowth 21.762 ± 2.068%; mean bone attachment 18.9411 ± 1.971%). There was no significant difference in attachment between the plain porous and Interlok surfaces. Bone grew more evenly over the surface of the HA coating whereas on the porous surface, bone ingrowth and attachment occurred more on the distal and medial parts of the coated surface. No significant differences in the volume of HA were found with the passage of time. This study shows that HA coating increases the amount of ingrowth and attachment of bone and leads to a more even distribution of bone over the surface of the implant. This may have implications in reducing stress shielding and limiting osteolysis induced by wear particles

We have studied the effect of hydroxyapatite (HA) coating in 15 ovariectomised and 15 normal rats which had had a sham procedure. Twenty-four weeks after operation, HA-coated implants were inserted into the intramedullary canal of the right femur and uncoated implants into the left femur. The prostheses were removed four weeks after implantation. Twelve specimens in each group had mechanical push-out tests. Sagittal sections of the other three were evaluated by SEM. The bone mineral density (BMD) of the dissected left tibia was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. The difference in BMD between the control and ovariectomised tibiae was 35.01 mg/cm. 2. (95% CI, 26.60 to 43.42). The push-out strength of the HA-coated implants was higher than that of the uncoated implants in both groups (p < 0.0001), but the HA-coated implants of the ovariectomised group had a reduction in push-out strength of 40.3% compared with the control group (p < 0.0001). Our findings suggest that HA-coated implants may improve the fixation of a cementless total hip prosthesis but that the presence of osteoporosis may limit the magnitude of this benefit

We inserted two hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated implants with crystallinities of either 50% (HA-50%) or 75% (HA-75%) bilaterally into the medial femoral condyles of the knees of 16 dogs. The implants were allocated to two groups with implantation periods of 16 and 32 weeks. They were weight-bearing and subjected to controlled micromovement of 250 μm during each gait cycle. After 16 weeks, mechanical fixation of the HA-50% implants was increased threefold as compared with the HA-75% implants. After 32 weeks there was no difference between HA-50% and HA-75%. Fixation of HA-75% increased from 16 to 32 weeks whereas that of HA-50% was unchanged. HA-50% implants had 100% more bone ingrowth than HA-75% implants after 16 weeks. More HA coating was removed on HA-50% implants compared with HA-75% implants after both 16 and 32 weeks. No further loss of the HA coating was shown from 16 to 32 weeks.

Our study suggests that the crystallinity of the HA coating is an important factor in its bioactivity and resorption during weight-bearing conditions. Our findings suggest two phases of coating resorption, an initial rapid loss, followed by a slow loss. Resorbed HA coating was partly replaced by bone ingrowth, suggesting that implant fixation will be durable.

The clinical use of hydroxyapatite (HA) coating is controversial especially in regard to the long-term performance of the coating and the effects of resorption. In each of 15 consenting patients we inserted two implants, coated with either HA or fluorapatite (FA) into the iliac crest. They were harvested at a mean of 13.6 ± 0.6 months after surgery. Histological examination showed that bone ongrowth on the HA-coated implants was significantly greater (29%) than that on the FA-coated implants. When bone was present on the coating surface the HA coating was significantly thicker than the FA coating. When bone marrow was present, the HA coating was significantly thinner than the FA coating. The reduction in coating thickness when covered by bone or bone marrow was 23.1 ± 9.7 μm for HA and 5.1 ± 1.7 μm for FA (p < 0.01) suggesting that FA is more stable than HA against resorption by bone marrow. The findings suggest that in man the osteoconductive properties of HA coating are superior to those of FA. Resorption rates for both coatings were approximately 20% of the coating thickness per year. Bone ongrowth appears to protect against resorption whereas bone marrow seems to accelerate resorption. No adverse reaction was seen in the surrounding bone

We measured the insertion and extraction torque forces in a randomised study of 76 external fixation screws in 19 patients treated by hemicallotasis for osteoarthritis of the medial side of the knee. The patients were randomised to have either standard tapered screws (Orthofix 6/5 mm) or the same screws with hydroxyapatite (HA) coating. One patient had two standard and two HA-coated screws. All patients had an anterior external fixator (Orthofix T-garche), with two screws in the proximal tibial metaphysis parallel to and about 2 cm below the joint surface and two in the tibial diaphysis. The mean torque forces for insertion of the standard screws were 260 Ncm for the proximal to medial screw, 208 for the proximal to lateral screw and 498 and 546 Ncm for the diaphyseal pins. The corresponding forces for the HA-coated pins were not significantly different. The torque forces for the extraction of the standard pins were 2 Ncm for the proximal pins, 277 and 249 Ncm for the distal pins and 482, 478, 585 and 620 Ncm, respectively (p < 0.005) for the HA-coated pins. All 18 of the metaphyseal standard screws were loose at extraction (extraction force < 20 Ncm), but only one of the HA screws in the metaphysis was loose. In the diaphysis the standard screws lost about 40% of their fixation in contrast to the HA-coated screws which retained full fixation strength