Laser Surface Treatment on Titanium and Ti6Al4V Alloy Samples for Enhanced Fibroblasts Adhesion and Improved Bacteriostatic Effect

This thesis aims to carry out a laser surface treatment that produces a groove pattern on the surface of pure titanium grade 2 and Ti6Al4V alloy samples. The implementation of the experiment is followed by the analysis of the relationship between the mechanic-chemical and biological properties, to produce a pattern that improves fibroblast adhesion and decreases bacterial growth. It is demonstrated that the surface topography characterized by microgrooves affects the fibroblasts' adhesion by inducing their orientation along the grooves. Furthermore, laser-treated samples show a reduction in the adhesion and/or proliferation of bacteria and biofilm formation, because of their surface topography which may induce a bacteriostatic effect.