Titanium (Ti) surface was coated with hydroxyapatite (HA) films via the sol-gel method. The coating properties, such as crystallinity and surface roughness, were controlled and their effects on the osteoblast-like cell responses were investigated. The film crystallinity was controlled with different heat treatment temperatures (400, 500, and 600 degrees C): Also the surface roughness was changed by using different heating rates (1 and 50 degrees C/min). The obtained sol-gel films had a dense and homogeneous structure with a thickness about 1 mum. The film heat-treated at higher temperature had enhanced crystallinity (600>500>400 degrees C), while retaining similar surface roughness. When heat-treated rapidly (50 degrees C/min), the film became quite rough, with roughness parameters being much higher (4-6 times) than that obtained at a low heating rate (1 degrees C/min). The dissolution rate of the film decreased with increasing crystallinity (400>500>600 degrees C), and the rougher film had slightly higher dissolution rate. The attachment, proliferation, and differentiation behaviors of human osteosarcoma HOS TE85 cells were affected by the properties of the films. On the films with higher crystallinity (heat treated over 500 degrees C), the cells attached and proliferated well and expressed alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC) to a higher degree as compared to the poorly crystallized film (heat treated at 400 degrees C). On the rough film, the cell attachment was enhanced, but the ALP and OC expression levels were similar as compared to the smooth films. Copyright (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.