Evaluation of surface roughness of titanium implants on human fibroblast cells

Abstract

Abstract A soft-anchored titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) mesh implantable device was designed and morphologically characterised in an in vitro study. The mesh implant consists of a titanium mesh aimed at preserving continence and improving the quality of life for patients with a stoma. Titanium alloys are widely used in implantable devices such as knee and dental prosthetics; however, soft-anchored or percutaneous implant options remain limited. Surface roughness is known to influence cell adhesion and proliferation; thus, three titanium samples were produced with different surface finishes: non-polished (NP), matte polished (MaP), and mirror polished (MiP). Comparative analyses were conducted via cell metabolic activity, cytotoxicity, and immunocytochemistry assays with adult normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs). No significant difference in NHDF metabolic activity was observed ( $$p> 0.8845$$ ), and the cytotoxicity results revealed no toxicity ( $$p> 0.9999$$ ) between the surfaces. Collagen type I expression was 568.86 ± 88.12, 433.26 ± 147.02, and 681.52 ± 86.14 $$\mu m^2$$ for NP, MaP, and MiP, respectively, whereas it was 544.54 ± 110.69 $$\mu m^2$$ in the controls ( $$p> 0.2193$$ ). Fibronectin-positive areas were 438.24 ± 109.05, 336.97 ± 80.22, and 311.62 ± 88.66 $$\mu m^2$$ for NP, MaP, and MiP, respectively, while they were 318.82 ± 52.56 $$\mu m^2$$ for the controls ( $$p> 0.0507$$ ). The results indicate that surface roughness (Ra) did not significantly affect cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, or ECM protein expression. Thus, under these in vitro conditions, we observed no detectable detrimental effect of surface roughness on fibroblast metabolic activity, cytotoxicity, or ECM protein expression, suggesting that extensive polishing steps may not be essential for achieving cytocompatibility of Ti-6Al-4V mesh components in devices designed for stoma patients, although further preclinical studies are required before any clinical recommendations can be made.