Belana Hillmann

Bachelor student

Fabrication and characterization of surface bioactive PEEK implants for bone regeneration

 

Supervisors: Zhiyan Xu, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

PEEK has gained wide interest as a biomaterial due to its good mechanical properties such as impact strength, wear resistance, and fatigue resistance, as well as favorable thermal and physiochemical properties including high-temperature, radiation and corrosion resistance [1]. In addition, particularly its elastic modulus, which is close to that of bone, and its good biocompatibility makes PEEK a promising candidate for bone implant materials [1]. Nevertheless, the biological inertness of PEEK, which can be linked to implant-associated infections and insufficient osseointegration between the PEEK implant and surrounding tissues resulting in implant failure, gives rise to the necessity of surface modifications (e.g., coating) of PEEK to promote its bioactivity, thus stimulating osteoinductivity and achieving osseointegration [2]. Mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MGBNs) show the potential to overcome these concerns due to their high bioactivity [3, 4]. Moreover, incorporating biologically active ions is a convenient approach to confer MBGNs with multifunctional properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects [3, 4]. Therefore, this Bachelor thesis aims to modify the surface of PEEK with MBGNs to improve the surface bioactivity for orthopedic applications.

[1] Ma, H. et al. (2023). Engineering Multifunctional Polyether Ether Ketone Implant: Mechanics‐Adaptability, Biominerialization, Immunoregulation, Anti‐Infection, Osteointegration, and Osteogenesis. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 12(12). https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202202799

[2] Yan, J. et al. (2021). Polyetheretherketone with citrate potentiated influx of copper boosts osteogenesis, angiogenesis, and bacteria-triggered antibacterial abilities. Journal Of Materials Science And Technology/Journal Of Materials Science & Technology, 71, 31–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmst.2020.08.048

[3] Kurtuldu, F. et al. (2021). Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities of cerium-containing mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles for drug-free biomedical applications. Materials Today Bio, 12, 100150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2021.100150

[4] Nicolini, V. et al. (2019). Mesoporous bioactive glasses doped with cerium: Investigation over enzymatic-like mimetic activities and bioactivity. Ceramics International, 45(16), 20910–20920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.07.080