Bioactivity and Biocompatibility of Plasma Sprayed Ceramic Coatings

Wollastonite and its composite coatings with zirconia and titania have been deposited by plasma spraying. The bioactivity of coatings was evaluated using a simulated body fluid soaking test. The fetal rat’s osteoblasts were seeded on the surface of the coatings to examine their biocompatibility. The SEM and XRD technologies were used to examine the morphologies, structure and composition of the surface of the coatings soaked in the simulated body fluid. The results obtained showed that carbonate-containing hydroxyapatite was formed on the surfaces of wollastonite, wollastonite/ZrO₂ and wollastonite/TiO₂ coatings, while was not formed on the surfaces of ZrO₂ and TiO₂, indicating the wollastonite improved the bioactivity of ZrO₂ and TiO₂ coatings. Osteoblasts are able to survive and proliferate on the surfaces of wollastonite, wollastonite/ZrO₂ and wollastonite/TiO₂ coatings. It is enough to prove that these coatings possess excellent biocompatibility.