OBJECTIVETo investigate morphological change of osteoblasts cultured on titanium plates with different microarchitecture structure when exposured to fluid shear stress.

METHODS14 dynes x cm(-2) fluid shear stress was applied on osteoblasts cultured on 3 different commercially pure titanium plates: Polished treatment (PT), sandblast (SB), sandblasting and acid-base (SB-AB) surfaces. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was adopted to observe the morphological changes after 0.5, 4, 7.5 h time point respectively.

RESULTSMorphologically, no significant changes were observed after 0.5 h and few osteoblasts were seen after 7.5 h on all 3 type of different surfaces, and significant changes could only be observed after 4 h. Osteoblasts were elongated and rearranged along the flow way on different levels on PT surface. Shape of cells was altered, from long fusiform suspending over depressed areas into polygon stretching out many synapsises tightly attached to pits on SB-AB surface. Osteoblasts on SB surface displayed similar change as SB-AB surface, besides, some cells were elongated along the way of flow, stretching out threadlike synapsises attached to edges of pits.

CONCLUSIONMorphological change of osteoblast responding to fluid shear stress in physiological range depends on substrate microarchitecture and varies with the time of fluid shear stress application.