The effects of surface texture on albumin adsorption on Ti alloys for dental implants

Abstract The adsorption of plasma proteins like albumin on dental implant surfaces is crucial for effective osseointegration and is strongly influenced by the surface texture. Most of the studies in the literature focused on albumin concentrations well below the physiological values in plasma, thus limiting their biomedical relevance. Here, we study the adsorption of albumin from phosphate-buffered saline at physiologically relevant concentrations on Ti alloy surfaces of different textures by combining contact angle measurements, advanced confocal and scanning electron microscopy and texture surface analysis. Results consistently demonstrated the impact of surface texture—assessed through areal mean roughness, skewness and surface-developed area—on albumin adsorption. One of the main results is that upon incubation, albumin at 4 wt% concentration formed a thick, compact surface layer of several micrometres on the roughened samples, which was retained after droplet removal. Conversely, albumin adsorption from a 0.4 wt% solution had little effect on the surface texture. These findings highlight the importance of considering albumin layer formation at physiological concentrations, as it may influence subsequent stages of osseointegration. Optimizing roughness and skewness by taking into account the presence of a thick albumin layer could enhance protein retention and improve implant performance.