Abstract

Control of cell adhesion to synthetic polymers is a key factor in tissue engineering. The bioactivity of NiTi after laser melting was investigated implementing in vitro techniques for studying mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) responses. The effects of physical (surface roughness and topography) and chemical (surface Ti/Ni ratio) modifications as a consequence of laser melting on the cell morphology and cell coverage were studied. The results indicate that MSC morphology was affected primarily by topographical factors. No toxic effect in terms of Ni release affected the MSCs, as evidenced by the adhesion and spreading of the cells