An understanding of osteoblast adhesion and proliferation on biomaterials is crucial to optimizing the surfaces of artificial implants used in clinical practice. Polished, anodic oxidation (AO) and micro-arc oxidation (MAO) treated titanium (Ti) plates were used as model surfaces to study the adhesion of MG-63 cells. Cells were monitored for 0.5 and 4 h; faster adhesion and spreading of MG-63 ceils were observed on the AO and MAO modified samples. Stimulated secretion of fibronectin (FN) influenced the adhesion rates. In addition, AO and MAO modified surfaces promoted cell proliferation through apparent up-regulation of FN and integrin a5 transcription via outside-in signaling. This strongly suggests that FN secretion by osteoblasts plays an essential role in enhanced cell adhesion, spreading and proliferation on these modified Ti surfaces.