Investigation on zirconium-coated polyurethane surfaces with regard to biocompatibility

PVD coatings composed of pure Zirconium (Zr) on polyurethane (PUR) surfaces could provide an opportunity with regard to soft-tissue replacements. Since endothelial lining of the implant inner surfaces became an important aspect in order to avoid unfavorable tissue–material interactions, PUR surfaces coated with Zr were analyzed for their endothelial cell compliancy. In the present paper, the physical coating material properties were determined by means of different analytical methods. For investigation on biocompatibility, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to study cell adhesion, proliferation, cell retention and morphology. In general, HUVECs grown on Zr-coated PUR surfaces showed significant enhancement in adhesion and proliferation in comparison to those on uncoated PUR. It was demonstrated on selected samples that using the free standard energy of wetting (ΔwetG°) provides a means of optimizing cell adhesion. A negative value for ΔwetG° indicates at isothermal–isobaric conditions that the wetting process – namely the interactions on the implant surface – is spontaneous and voluntary.