Bioactive glass coatings fabricated by laser cladding on ceramic acetabular cups: a proof-of-concept study

Deposition of bioceramic coatings on medical implants is a valuable strategy to impart key added values, such as bioactivity. While flat coatings can be easily produced by enameling and similar techniques, applying a bioactive glass layer on surfaces with curved geometry is a great challenge from a technological viewpoint. In this work, for the first time we demonstrated the feasibility of bioactive glass coatings produced by laser cladding on alumina/zirconia ceramic acetabular cups for hip joint prosthesis. Laser-cladded glass coatings can be fabricated in a dense (pore-free) or porous form. Morphological analyses by scanning electron microscopy and micro-computed tomography revealed the good quality of joining at the coating/substrate interface and the good interconnectivity of the pores (size within 200–400 lm) in the outer porous layer. Indentation tests at the interface confirmed the excellent joining between glass and ceramic substrate. These coatings also exhibited a good bioactive behavior in vitro, as demonstrated by the formation of a surface apatite layer upon immersion studies in simulated body fluid.