Background Surface modification by ion implantation-deposition is well established in materials science and can be an effective way to improve biocompatibility.The aim of this study is to evaluate the chemical composition of a modified titanium (Ti) surface after zinc (Zn) ion implantation and deposition and examine the effect of the modification on the formation of cellular focal adhesion plaques in vitro.Methods cp-Ti discs were modified with Zn ion implantation and deposition via PⅢD.The chemical composition of the surface modification was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).The formation of focal adhesion plaques on the modified Ti was investigated with human osteoblast-like MG-63 calls that were seeded onto the Ti surfaces and quantified by morphometric analysis under a confocal microscope.Results XPS data revealed that the modified Zn-Ti surface consisted of Ti,oxygen,Zn,and carbon.In addition,Gaussian fitting of the spectra indicated that the modified surface contained titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.After 6 hours of MG-63 cell culture,there were significantly more focal adhesion plaques on the modified surfaces than observed on the nonmodified Ti (P ＜0.05).Conclusion Zn ion implantation and deposition greatly improved the biocompatibility of Ti for the growth of MG-63 cells.