Abstract
Titania layers were prepared by thermal oxidation of titanium substrates at 280 or 290°C (HT280, HT290), then they were either irradiated with UV-light in water or autoclaved at 121°C for 20 min. Moreover, two pieces of those titanium substrates were aligned parallel to each other with 0.3-mm gap, and the sets subsequently soaked in SBF at 36.5°C for 7 days. It was found that HT290 deposited bone-like apatite particles on their contact (inner) surface. In conclusion, the combination of low temperature thermal oxidation with UV-light irradiation or autoclaving provides titanium substrates with in vitro apatite-forming ability under properly designed gaps.
