Titanium surface covered with antimicrobial coating: Antibacterial ability and biocompatibility

BACKGROUND: Titanium alloy with good biocompatibility, corrosion resistance and mechanical properties have been widely used in clinic. How to give its excellent antibacterial properties so as to cope with plant-associated infections has become a research focus in recent years. OBJECTIVE: To review the principle, techniques, classification and relative merits of antimicrobial coating. METHODS: A computer-based search of Scopus database and VIP database was performed by the first author to retrieve relevant articles published from January 1990 to January 2014 using the keywords of “titanium alloy, plant, antibacterial, coating”. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Coatings can be classified into antibiotic coating, non-antibiotic organic antimicrobial coating, inorganic antibacterial coating, anti-adhesion coating, antibacterial bioactive polymer coating, all of which have better biocompatibility, but also have their limitations. Current studies concerning antimicrobial coatings mainly focus on how to enhance the binding force between antimicrobial coating and the substrate as well as how to get a good anti-bacterial ability, biocompatibility, high wear resistance and persistence; antibacterial phase structure and distribution effects on the bacterial colonization. The antibacterial phase structure and distribution is the key factor for the antimicrobial properties of titanium alloys with either entirely added anti-bacterial elements or surface coating.