Multidimensional analysis for the correlation of physico-chemical attributes to osteoblastogenesis in TiNbZrSnTa alloys

Data-enabled approaches that complement experimental testing offer new capabilities to investigate the interplay between chemical, physical and mechanical attributes of alloys and elucidate their effect on biological behaviours. Reported here, instead of physical causation, statistical correlations were used to study the factors responsible for the adhesion, proliferation and maturation of pre-osteoblasts MC3T3-E1 cultured on Titanium alloys. Eight alloys with varying wt% of Niobium, Zirconium, Tin and Tantalum (Ti— (2–22 wt%)Nb— (5–20 wt%)Zr— (0–18 wt%)Sn— (0–14 wt%)Ta) were designed to achieve exemplars of allotropes (incl., metastable-β, β + α′, α″). Following confirmation of their compositions (ICP, EDX) and their crystal structure (XRD, SEM), their compressive bulk properties were measured and their surface features characterised (XPS, SFE). Because these alloys are intended for the manufacture of implantable orthopaedic devices, the correlation focuses on the effect of surface properties on cellular behaviour. Physico-chemical attributes were paired to biological performance, and these highlight the positive interdependencies between oxide composition and proliferation (esp. Ti⁴⁺), and maturation (esp. Zr⁴⁺). The correlation reveals the negative effect of oxide thickness, esp. TiO_x and TaO_x on osteoblastogenesis. This study also shows that the characterisation of the chemical state and elemental electronic structure of the alloys' surface is more predictive than physical properties, namely SFE and roughness.