Strontium and zoledronate hydroxyapatites graded composite coatings for bone prostheses

Both strontium and zoledronate (ZOL) are known to be useful for the treatment of bone diseases associated to the loss of bone substance. In this work, we applied an innovative technique, Combinatorial Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (C-MAPLE), to deposit gradient thin films with variable compositions of Sr-substituted hydroxyapatite (SrHA) and ZOL modified hydroxyapatite (ZOLHA) on Titanium substrates. Compositional gradients were obtained by simultaneous laser vaporization of the two distinct material targets. The coatings display good crystallinity and granular morphology, which do not vary with composition. Osteoblast-like MG63 cells and human osteoclasts were co-cultured on the thin films up to 21. days. The results show that Sr counteracts the negative effect of relatively high concentration of ZOL on osteoblast viability, whereas both Sr and ZOL enhance extracellular matrix deposition. In particular, ZOL promotes type I collagen production, whereas Sr increases the production of alkaline phosphatase. Moreover, ZOL exerts a greater effect than Sr on osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratio and, as a consequence, on the reduction of osteoclast proliferation and activity. The deposition method allows to modulate the composition of the thin films and hence the promotion of bone growth and the inhibition of bone resorption