2005 Volume 46 Issue 7 Pages 1618-1626
In this work the biocompatibility of two vanadium-free Ti–Al–Nb alloys, Ti–15Al–33Nb and Ti–21Al–29Nb, was evaluated and compared to that for commercially pure titanium (CP Ti) and alumina (Al2O3). Fine particles were milled from sheet-processed material and implanted onto mice calvaria using an established animal model. Various stains, including methylene blue/acid fuchsin, TRAcP, and immunohistochemistry, were used on the particle-treated calvaria to measure the extent of bone deterioration of the calvaria, quantify the amount of osteoclasts, and approximate the presence of T-cells. In addition, reaction with particle-stimulated macrophages was observed and the production of the cytokine TNFα was recorded and quantified. The results indicated that the Ti–Al–Nb alloys statistically outperformed both CP Ti and Al2O3 in terms of their overall biocompatibility with respect to the experiments performed.