Corona discharge treatment was applied to modify the surface of polyethylene (PE). The wettability of PE surface was gradually increased by power increase of a corona treatment along the PE length, indicating that the hydrophilicity of PE surface increased gradually. The adhesion and proliferation behavior of human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs) on the gradient PE surface was evaluated. We found that hBMSCs were adhered to and proliferated on better highly hydrophilic than hydrophobic surfaces. The plot of proliferation rate vs. the water contact angles was parabolic. These results indicate that surface wettability plays an important role in the cell attachment and proliferation. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.