Abstract

Simulated body fluid (SBF) has been used previously to predict the osseointegration potential of materials by assesing the apatite response. This paper details a study carried out using a CO2 laser to induce a number of surface patterns which inherently modified both the surface chemistry and surface topography of nylon 6,6 and gave rise to a difference in apatite response. These induced patterns caused a reduction in hydrophilicity with increased contact angles of up to 10°. Following immersion in SBF for 14 days each sample was weighed revealing an increase in weight of up to 0.029 g indicating that an apatite layer had begun to form. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis identified the presence of calcium and phosphorous, two elements which support osteoblast cell response. It was found that the laser induced patterned samples gave rise to more layer crystals forming suggesting a more optimized surface for osteoblast cell growth.