Cowden, Kari Miller, authorPopat, Ketul C., advisorPark, Juyeon, committee memberSampath, Walajabad S., committee member2018-06-122018-06-122018https://hdl.handle.net/10217/189346The need for joint replacement will continue to grow and increase significantly in the coming decades due to the aging population. Unfortunately, many joint implants experience failure after 10-15 years requiring revision surgery. With the growing need for more implants and the high cost of medical expenses for orthopedic surgery, it is imperative that implants are effective and have long term success. Since joint implant materials come into direct contact with bone it is vital that they mimic the structure of bone to improve osseointegration, or the direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the implant surface. Improving the osseointegration of the implant can increase the stability of the implant, thus, reducing micro motions that cause loosening and lead to implant failure. Current joint implants have microscale coatings and texturing, however, bone is composed of both micro and nano components. In order to mimic the nanostructure of bone, different nanotopograhies are currently being studied. These nanostructures have been shown to improve cellular response in terms of adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation. However, the optimal size of nanosurfaces to promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation is still disputed. Titania nanotubes (NT) have been shown to improve cellular response in vitro and improve integration in in vivo animal studies. This thesis investigates the surface characteristics of titania NT and the effect of nanotube size on adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) in vitro. The results presented in this thesis indicate that ADSC differentiated and performed better on NT surfaces than Ti surfaces. Additionally, the size of titania NT altered the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of ADSC. Further studies should be directed toward in vivo animal studies to confirm that implants with NT surfaces enhance osseointegration and further define their potential to improve implant stability.born digitalmasters thesesengCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.biomaterialsproliferationadipose-derived stem cellstitania nanotubesosteogenic differentiationText