Cellular Compatibility of a New Tantalum-Niobium Scaffold Material

[Objective] To determine the cellular compatibility of porous tantalum-niobium (Ta-Nb) material. [Method] Rabbit osteoblasts were co-cultured with porous Ta-Nb material. The cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 method, and the cell adhesion was observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The expressions of type-I collagen and osteocalcin were detected by RT-PCR assay. [Results] CCK-8 detection indicated that the cell proliferation on the porous Ta-Nb material showed no difference from that of the control group (P>0.05). SEM revealed that a large amount of cells adhered onto the surface and in the pores of the material. The number of cells on the material surface increased obviously over time. RT-PCR assay showed that with the prolonging of the time of co-culture, the expression of type-I collagen was enhanced (P<0.05), while the osteocalcin expression exhibited no significant difference (P>0.05[Conclusion] Porous Ta-Nb scaffold material can be used to promote the adhesion, growth and differentiation of osteoblasts with satisfactory cellular compatibility.