Novel Strategy for Surface Modification of Titanium Implants towards the Improvement of Osseointegration Property and Antibiotic Local Delivery

The topography and chemical composition modification of titanium (Ti) implants play a decisive role in improving biocompatibility and bioactivity, accelerating osseointegration, and, thus, determining clinical success. In spite of the development of surface modification strategies, bacterial contamination is a common cause of failure. The use of systemic antibiotic therapy does not guarantee action at the contaminated site. In this work, we proposed a surface treatment for Ti implants that aim to improve their osseointegration and reduce bacterial colonization in surgery sites due to the local release of antibiotic. The Ti discs were hydrothermally treated with 3M NaOH solution to form a nanostructured layer of titanate on the Ti surface. Metronidazole was impregnated on these nanostructured surfaces to enable its local release. The samples were coated with poly(vinyl alcohol)—PVA films with different thickness to evaluate a possible control of drug release. Gamma irradiation was used to crosslink the polymer chains to achieve hydrogel layer formation and to sterilize the samples. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, contact angle measurements, “in vitro” bioactivity, and drug release analysis. The alkaline hydrothermal treatment successfully produced intertwined, web-like nanostructures on the Ti surface, providing wettability and bioactivity to the Ti samples (Ti + TTNT samples). Metronidazole was successfully loaded and released from the Ti + TTNT samples coated or not with PVA. Although the polymeric film acted as a physical barrier to drug delivery, all groups reached the minimum inhibitory concentration for anaerobic bacteria. Thus, the surface modification method presented is a potential approach to improve the osseointegration of Ti implants and to associate local drug delivery with dental implants, preventing early infections and bone failure.