Abstract—Titanium and its alloys are being widely used as orthopaedic implants based on their desirable properties of relatively low modulus, good fatigue strength, formability, machinability, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. However, titanium and its alloys cannot meet all of the clinical requirements due to lack of level of osseointegration required for implant longevity. Porous tantalum metal is currently used in orthopaedics for manufacturing of structural components for primary and revision total hip revision surgery. Tantalum has shown a higher biocompatibility compared to titanium in various in vivo tests. RGD sequence has been identified in mediating the attachment of cells through specific ligand-receptor interactions. The biocompatibility of implant surfaces are directly related to the ease with which the RGD sequence interacts with the implant surface. A molecular level RGD adhesion characteristics have been compared for studying the biocompatibility of titanium and tantalum surfaces based on the molecular orbital theory. The results suggest the possibility of adapting the methods for predicting the biocompatibility of forthcoming implant materials at the development stage itself.

Index Terms—Spartan 04, Molecular orbital theory, Biocompatibility, RGD

Cite: K K Saju and Jayadas N H, "Simulated Molecular Level Analysis of RGD (ARG-GLY-ASP) Interactions on Tantalum and Titanium Biomaterial Surfaces," International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Vol.2, No. 1, pp. 119-129, January 2013.