A tantalum-containing zirconium-based metallic glass with superior endosseous implant relevent properties (xenograft)

Tantalum (Ta) metal is well known for its ideal corrosion resistance and biological effects as endosseous implants. However, the metal has a elastic modulus as high as 186GPa which is not comparable to the natural bone (10-40GPa), and it also has a relative high cost. Here, to fully exploit the advantages of Ta as endosseous implants, a small amount of Ta (as low as 3 at.%) was successfully added into a zirconium-based metallic glass (MG) to generate an advanced functional endosseous implant, Zr58Cu25Al14Ta3 MG, with superior comprehensive properties. Upon carefully dissecting the surface chemistry and atomic structure, the results show that amorphization of Ta enable the uniform distribution in material surface, leading to a significantly improved chemical stability and extensive material-cell contact regulation. Systematical analyses on the immunological, angiogenesis and osteogenesis capability of the material is carried out by utilizing the next-generation sequencing, revealing that Zr58Cu25Al14Ta3 MG can regulate angiogenesis through VEFG signaling pathway and osteogenesis via BMP signaling pathway. Animal experiment further confirms a sound osseointegration of Zr58Cu25Al14Ta3 MG in achieving better bone-implant-contact and inducing faster peri-implant bone formation.