Evaluation of Osteoblastic Differentiation Induced by Microtextured Titanium Surface Produced by Laser Metal Fusion 3D Printing

In this study, we hypothesized that microtextured titanium (Ti) surfaces produced by laser metal fusion (LMF) 3D printing may play an important role in osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). For that, MSCs derived from mouse bone marrow were cultured on Ti discs produced in two different ways: microtextured produced by acid etched (Ti-Ac, control group) and microtextured produced by LMF 3D printing (Ti-3D-LMF, test group), in which it was evaluated: (1) cell proliferation, (2) alkaline phosphatase activity and (3) extracellular matrix mineralization. The results showed that both groups allowed cell proliferation over time (p<0.001). Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences between groups in the assessments of alkaline phosphatase activity (p=0.385) and extracellular matrix mineralization (p=0.234). Although both groups evaluated induce cell proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation similarly, the technology used in the Ti-3D-LMF group may prove advantageous as it produces specific dental implants for patients through customization.

Keywords:
Titanium; dental implant surface; 3D printing; laser metal fusion; acid etched; osteoblastic differentiation