CO₂ laser surface patterning of nylon 6,6 and subsequent effects on wettability characteristics and apatite response

Simulated body fluid has been used previously to predict the osseointegration potential of materials by assessing the apatite response. This paper details a study carried out using a CO₂ laser to induce a number of surface patterns which inherently modified both the surface chemistry and surface topography of nylon 6,6 and gave rise to a difference in apatite response. These induced patterns caused a reduction in hydrophilicity with increased contact angles of up to 10°. Following immersion in simulated body fluid for 14 days each sample was weighed revealing an increase in weight of up to 0·029 g indicating that an apatite layer had begun to form. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis identified the presence of calcium and phosphorous, two elements which support osteoblast cell response. It was found that the laser induced patterned samples gave rise to more layer crystals forming suggesting a more optimised surface for osteoblast cell growth.