The Effect of Sterilization Treatment on the Surface Characteristics and
Biological Activity of Zirconia Implant
Abstract
Zirconia implants have emerged as a promising novel material in the
field of dentistry due to their ability to overcome certain limitations
associated with titanium implants. However, the appropriate
sterilization protocols for zirconia implants have not yet been
thoroughly investigated. To address this gap, this study conducted an
assessment of the surface characteristics of fully sintered 3Y-TZP
zirconia slices after being subjected to various sterilization methods,
including ethylene oxide (EO), hydrogen peroxide plasma (HPP), electron
beam (EB), and a combination of hydrogen peroxide plasma with either
ethylene oxide (HPP+EO) or electron beam treatment (HPP+EB). Although
the HPP treatment group did not demonstrate the highest level of
hydrophilicity and contamination removal, it did exhibit notable
hydrophilicity, effectively prevented hydrocarbon contamination, and
maintained a substantial concentration of Zr. The surface of zirconia
treated with HPP displayed significant enhancements in cell
proliferation, cytoskeleton development, osteogenic differentiation, and
adhesion capabilities for hBMSCs and HGFs, surpassing the performance of
other groups. Based on these findings, the sterilization of zirconia
implants using hydrogen peroxide plasma therapy appears to be a feasible
technique.