Surface Engineering and Coatings for Metallic Orthopedic Implants

Metallic orthopedic implants face long-term challenges including corrosion in physiological environments, mechanical wear under cyclic loading, and the gradual formation of biofilms or inflammatory responses. Although surface modification and coating technologies can improve biocompatibility, tribological performance, and chemical stability, current strategies often involve trade-offs among adhesion strength, coating durability, ion release, and clinical reliability. Moreover, the complex interplay between surface chemistry, micro/nano-topography, coating microstructure, and host tissue response remains insufficiently understood for many emerging coating systems, including multilayer, gradient, and multifunctional coatings. Therefore, a focused Research Topic is needed to consolidate advances in surface engineering and coating design, processing, characterization, and in vitro/in vivo evaluation for metallic orthopedic implants.The goal of this Research Topic is to advance the scientific and translational understanding of surface engineering and coating strategies for metallic orthopedic implants. We aim to provide a platform for studies that elucidate how coating composition, microstructure, thickness, interfacial bonding, and surface morphology govern key outcomes: (i) osteointegration, (ii) corrosion and wear resistance, (iii) anti-biofilm/antimicrobial performance, and (iv) long-term coating stability under mechanical and chemical stresses. We also seek to promote systematic approaches linking processing parameters (e.g., plasma spraying, sol–gel, electrophoretic deposition, micro-arc oxidation, laser/ion modification, and additive manufacturing-derived surfaces) to material properties and biological responses. Ultimately, this Research Topic will help establish practical design guidelines and evaluation frameworks that can accelerate the development of reliable coating solutions for clinical use.This Research Topic welcomes contributions that address the design, fabrication, characterization, and performance evaluation of surface-engineered and coated metallic orthopedic implants. Desired themes include: corrosion/wear mechanisms; coating–substrate interfacial bonding and adhesion; porosity, roughness, and microstructure effects; biofunctional coatings (e.g., hydroxyapatite/bioceramics, phosphate conversion layers, bioactive ions); antimicrobial and anti-fouling strategies; gradient/multilayer and self-healing concepts; standardized in vitro tests and relevant in vivo validation; and multiscale characterization (surface chemistry, phase composition, tribology, and degradation behavior). Manuscript types of interest include Original Research, Review Articles, and Methods/Protocol papers that provide actionable experimental workflows and reproducible evaluation strategies. Topic editors: Zhangyue Qin, Zhongmin Jin, Yong Luo, Yali Zhang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84437/surface-engineering-and-coatings-for-metallic-orthopedic-implants