ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Biomaterials
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1671695
The Effect of Barium Titanate-Coated Titanium Alloy Scaffolds on Bone Regeneration in Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head Models: A Comprehensive Analysis Based on In Vitro and In Vivo Experiments
Provisionally accepted
- 1Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
- 2Other
- 3Air Force Medical University Tangdu Hospital, Xi'an, China
- 4Hanzhong Central Hospital, Hanzhong, China
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Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common condition that greatly affects patients' quality of life, yet current treatments often have limited effectiveness. This study aimed to explore how a porous titanium alloy scaffold coated with barium titanate (BaTiO3) could promote bone regeneration in ONFH. We employed various research methods including cell culture, piezoelectric property measurements, tissue-engineered scaffold fabrication, and in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility assessments. Our results showed that macrophages had better attachment and growth on the BaTiO3-coated porous titanium alloy (PTB) scaffold than on the uncoated porous titanium alloy (PT) scaffold, with no significant differences in apoptosis rates between the two groups. Furthermore, the PTB scaffolds reduced the expression of bone resorption markers, such as Cathepsin K, TRAP, and RANK, under dynamic loading conditions. This finding indicates their potential to inhibit osteoclast differentiation. Moreover, the BaTiO3 coating enhanced the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of the scaffolds, evidenced by significantly higher alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium nodule formation in MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts cultured on PTB scaffolds. These findings underscore the dual role of BaTiO3 in facilitating cellular responses and modulating signaling pathways involved in bone metabolism. Our study highlights the promise of BaTiO3-coated titanium alloy scaffolds as an innovative approach to enhance bone regeneration in ONFH, paving the way for future clinical applications and the development of advanced biomaterials for bone healing.
Keywords: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), Titanium alloy scaffolds, Barium titanate (BaTiO3), Bone Regeneration, piezoelectric properties, Macrophages, Osteoclast differentiation
Received: 23 Jul 2025; Accepted: 27 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chen, OuYang, Chunxing, Wu, Pei, Li, Wang and Lei. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yu Chen, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
Shi Lei, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.