Features of In Vitro Interaction of Osteoblast-Like MG-63 Cells with the Surface of Ti-Zr-Nb Shape Memory Alloys

The effect of the surface of Ti-Zr-Nb (TZN) shape memory alloys (SMA) on adhesion, proliferation, viability, and organization of the actin cytoskeleton of osteoblast-like MG-63 cells has been studied. The studied SMA have a unique combination of mechanical properties, making them promising in fabrication of bone implants with high biomechanical compatibility (due to low Young’s modulus and superelastic behavior similar to that of bone tissue). Thin sheets of the experimental TZN alloy and Ti-Al-Nb (TAN) medical alloy (as a control) are used in the study. Growth dynamics of MG-63 cell culture is assessed by the MTT assay and counting the number of nuclei per unit area. It is found that the number of cells cultured on TZN alloy is higher than on TAN alloy on the fourth and seventh days. This may be due to the influence of the qualitative and quantitative composition of the materials on the microstructure and chemistry of the surface. The cell viability during the cell culturing on both alloys is close to 100%. Image-based actin cytoskeleton analysis has shown the predominance of fibrillar actin on the TZN samples and has also revealed the cytoskeletal organization or structure typical of polygonal-shaped fibroblast-like cells.