A nanostructured gradient Ta-O-F barrier-reservoir coating on 316L stainless steel coordinates anti-infective and osteoregenerative responses.

Authors

Mian Chen, Wei Liu, Yuantao Bu, Xuefeng Song, Erlin Zhang, Jian Hu

Published in

Biomaterials. Volume 338. Issue Pt B. Pages 124687. Oct 13, 2026. Epub Oct 13, 2026.

Abstract

Early-stage bacterial infection and inadequate osseointegration remain major causes of failure of orthopedic 316L stainless steel (316L SS) implants. Fluoride-containing surfaces can provide antibacterial activity and support angiogenic and osteoblastic responses when fluoride exposure is appropriately regulated. However, uncontrolled release may cause burst exposure, compromised cytocompatibility, and limited functional durability. Herein, a nanostructured gradient Ta-O-F coating was constructed on 316L SS by stepwise plasma modification: an outer Ta₂O₅-rich region served as a corrosion-stable barrier, whereas an underlying fluoride-containing region functioned as an ion reservoir, thereby suppressing burst fluoride release and sustaining subsequent exposure. Compared with monofunctional coatings, TO/TF showed improved corrosion resistance, moderated fluoride release, and retained antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli. Phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses indicated that the antibacterial response was primarily associated with fluoride-mediated membrane damage, oxidative stress, metabolic disturbance, and suppression of translation-related pathways. The Ta₂O₅-rich surface may provide an additional but relatively weak contribution through corrosion stabilization and favorable surface physicochemical properties. The regulated coating also enhanced endothelial migration and tube formation, while promoting osteoblastic adhesion, proliferation, ALP activity, matrix mineralization, and related gene expression in vitro. In an infected rat implantation model, TO/TF reduced local inflammatory infiltration and bacterial burden relative to unmodified 316L SS, while supporting vascular and osteogenic marker expression and improved peri-implant bone architecture. These findings establish a barrier-reservoir strategy for coordinating early anti-infective protection with subsequent osteoregenerative responses on metallic implants.

PMID:
42893684
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 19 Oct 2026.

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