Electropolishing influence on biocompatibility of additively manufactured Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr: in vivo and in vitro

Balling defect of the additively manufactured titanium lattice implants easily leads to muscle tissue rejection, which might cause failure of implantation. Electropolishing is widely used in surface polishing of complex components and has potential to deal with the balling defect. However, a clad layer could be formed on the surface of titanium alloy after electropolishing, which may affect the biocompatibility of the metal implants. To manufacture lattice structured β-type Ti-Ni-Ta-Zr (TNTZ) for bio-medical applications, it is necessary to investigate the impact of electropolishing on material biocompatibility. In this study, animal experiments were conducted to investigate the in vivo biocompatibility of the as-printed TNTZ alloy with or without electropolishing; and proteomics technology was used to elaborate the results. The following conclusions were drawn: (a) a 30% oxalic acid electropolishing treatment was effective in solving balling defects, and ~21 nm amorphous clad layer would be formed on the surface of the material after polishing; (b) the electropolished TNTZ suggested decreased cell cytotoxicity and improved blood biocompatibility as compared to as-printed TNTZ; (c) the amorphous clad layer could make a barrier to prevent Ta and Zr ions from penetrating into the muscle tissue, and could form a good tissue regeneration at the implantation site during 4 weeks, indicating that the electropolished TNTZ has the potential as implants; and (d) the cells attached to the electropolished TNTZ showed higher antioxidant capacity but less proliferation than attached to as-printed TNTZ. Graphical Abstract