Figure 6. (a-b) High Resolution TEM images showing typical
apatite crystal structure running in a longitudinal pattern
CONCLUSIONS
This work demonstrates a potential cost-effective route to coat implant
materials with highly- ordered fluoridated apatite structures using a
low temperature wet chemical method. These coatings exhibit a fine
control over the hierarchical organization, coverage, and size of the
nanocrystals, exploiting the surface topography of the substrates.
Furthermore, the results suggests that both titanium and sapphire can
form bioactive coatings regardless being pre-treated or not. We believe
that these hierarchical apatite coatings may play a major role in
optimising the osseointegration and biocompatibility of dental and
orthopaedic implants.