Antibiofilm properties of thin-film coating prototypes with copper oxide nanoparticles for orthopedic implants from titanium and its alloys: Experimental study

Objective: to evaluate the bacteriostatic properties of the developed prototypes of thin-film coating for orthopedic implants made of titanium and its alloys. Materials and Methods. Using scanning electron microscopy, we examined the morphology of Ti-6AL-4V (ASTM F1472) samples with a thin-film coating containing cupric oxide nanoparticles with a dispersion of 50-70 nm applied to their surface by plasma electrolytic oxidation. Then we assessed the impact of prototypes of thin-film coating on the propensity of clinical strains of microorganisms to adhere and form biofilms, and on their growth properties. Results. The developed prototype of a thin-film coating caused a significant decrease in the mass of biofilms formed by clinical strains of various microorganisms by 11% (Staphylococcus aureus), 38% (Staphylococcus epidermidis) and 7% (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), along with a reduction in bacterial growth properties by 12.7 % (S. aureus), 13.3% (S. epidermidis) and 10% (P. aeruginosa). Conclusion. The developed prototype of a thin-film coating for products made of titanium and its alloys reduced the virulence factors of clinical microbial strains due to its pronounced bacteriostatic effect via inhibiting bacterial adhesive activity and their ability to form biofilms.