Patent ID: 8486483

Claim:
A method of forming a nanocrystalline surface on a metallic implant, the implant being made of a material comprising titanium, the method comprising the acts of: roughening at least a portion of the implant surface to form a roughened surface; and without forming an alkoxide on the roughened surface, depositing discrete hydroxyapatite nanocrystals directly on the roughened surface by directly contacting an exposed, outer surface of the implant with a solution, the exposed, outer surface of the implant including titanium hydroxide and/or titanium oxide, the solution comprising 2-methoxyethanol solvent and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, the nanocrystals being on the order of about 20 nanometers to about 100 nanometers, wherein a portion of the roughened surface is exposed between at least some of the discrete nanocrystals such that the exposed roughened portion between the discrete nanocrystals is for contacting bone.