Collagen type I-coating of Ti6Al4V promotes adhesion of osteoblasts

The initial contact of osteoblasts with implant surfaces is an important ev ent for osseointegration of implants. Osseointegration of Ti6A14V may be im proved by precoating of its surface with collagen type I. In this study, th e adhesion of rat calvarial osteoblasts to uncoated and collagen type I-coa ted titanium alloy was investigated over a period of 24 h. Collagen type I- coating accelerates initial adhesion of osteoblasts in the presence of feta l calf serum. One hour after plating, no differences in the percentage of a dherent cells between the surfaces investigated were found. Adhesion of ost eoblasts to uncoated surfaces was reduced by the GRGDSP peptide by about 70 %, whereas adhesion to collagen type I-coated surfaces remained unaffected by treatment of the cells with the peptide. Cell adhesion to coated materia ls was reduced by about 80% by anti-integrin beta 1 antibody. The integrin beta 1 antibody did not influence the adhesion to uncoated titanium alloy. The results suggest that osteoblasts adhere to collagen type I-coated mater ials via integrin beta 1 but not by interacting with RGD peptides, whereas adhesion to uncoated titanium alloy is mediated by RGD sequences but not vi a integrin beta 1. Fibronectin does not seem to be involved in the adhesion of osteoblasts to either coated or uncoated titanium alloy. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.