STUDY OF THE MECHANICAL AND ANTIBACTERIALPROPERTIES OF SURFACE MODIFIED STEEL FOR MEDICALAPPLICATIONS

Various types of metal implants, both in Poland and worldwide, are mainly manufactured from stainlesssteel due to their biocompatibility, strength, and relatively low price. However, any such procedure involvesthe risk of peri-implant infection, stimulated, among other things, by the formation of a bacterial biofilmon the surface of the implant. In this paper, several methods of modifying the surface of steel for medicalapplications were proposed, such as mechanical polishing, electropolishing, sandblasting, and the applicationof a thin surface layer. This was followed by a series of physicochemical and biological tests. The resultsindicate that the titanium nitride coating improved corrosion resistance and reduced bacterial adhesion onthe surface. No significant improvement in abrasion was observed, and the adhesion of the coating closelydepended on the method of preparation.