Surface characterization of biocompatible hydroxyapatite coatings

The coatings of hydroxyapatite are widely used for orthopaedic and dental p rostheses, Nevertheless, their chemical, biological and mechanical properti es still can be improved by the development of new preparation technologies . Here we report a surface characterization of hydroxyapatite coatings prep ared by different deposition techniques. The layers of hydroxyapatite are g rown on commercial titanium substrates by using sol-gel and electrodepositi on techniques, The biocompatibility of the samples is tested upon in vitro treatment as a function of the exposure time, Surface chemical composition and morphology of the coatings are studied by means of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning Auger microscopy (SAM) and scanning electron m icroscopy (SEM), Quantitative XPS analysis and surface chemical and physica l images reveal different features (cleanness, homogeneity, roughness) of t he coatings and different surface modifications induced by the interaction with osteoblast cells. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.