Fused Deposition Modeling PEEK Implants for Personalized Surgical Application: From Clinical Need to Biofabrication

Abstract

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology is suitable for manufacturing personalized orthopedic implants for reconstruction surgery. Compared with traditional titanium, polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) is the ideal material for 3DP orthopedic implants due to its various advantages, including thermoplasticity, thermal stability, high chemical stability, and radiolucency suitable elastic modulus. However, it is challenging to develop a well-designed method and manufacturing technique to meet the clinical needs because it requires elaborate details and interplays with clinical work. Furthermore, establishing surgical standards for new implants requires many clinical cases and an accumulation of surgical experience. Thus, there are few case reports on using 3DP PEEK implants in clinical practice. Herein, we formed a team with a lot of engineers, scientists, and doctors and conducted a series of studies on the 3DP PEEK implants for chest wall reconstruction. First, the thoracic surgeons sort out the specific types of chest wall defects. Then, the engineers designed the shape of the implant and performed finite element analysis for every implant. To meet the clinical needs and mechanical requirements of implants, we developed a new fused deposition modeling technology to make personalized PEEK implants. Overall, the thoracic surgeons have used 114 personalized 3DP PEEK implants to reconstruct the chest wall defect and further established the surgical standards of the implants as part of the Chinese clinical guidelines. The surface modification technique and composite process are developed to overcome the new clinical problems of implant-related complications after surgery. Finally, the major challenges and possible solutions to translating 3DP PEEK implants into a mature and prevalent clinical product are discussed in the paper.

3D-Printed Fast-Dissolving Oral Dosage Forms via Fused Deposition Modeling Based on Sugar Alcohol and Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)—Preparation, Drug Release Studies and In Vivo Oral Absorption

“…Some medical devices, for example casts and artificial limbs, can be customized with a 3D printer to individual patient needs. For example, 3D-printed artificial trachea and bones have been surgically implanted in patients [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. In addition to medical devices, the first 3D-printed tablet, Spritam ® (levetiracetam), was approved by the FDA in 2015.…”

Effect of Sterilization on the Dimensional and Mechanical Behavior of Polylactic Acid Pieces Produced by Fused Deposition Modeling

“…The latter becomes key to surgical scenarios that require patient-specific devices [ 16 , 19 ]. In this sense, from cranioplasty implants [ 20 ] and screw guides for spine surgery [ 21 ] to chest wall reconstruction devices [ 22 ], FDM has been successfully tested in the clinical setting. Likewise, FDM-printed PLA anatomical models have been evaluated for effective preoperative planning, yielding promising results for cranial and spinal surgery [ 23 , 24 ].…”

Use of polyetheretheretherketone in dentistry: Literature review

“…Custom implants made from PEEK have proven useful in the reconstruction of damaged bones or in the correction of bone deformities. These implants have the advantage of adapting to the curvatures and contours of the surrounding bone, which reduces the need for further surgery after implantation [14] . In the field of biomedical engineering, PEEK's modulus of elasticity has also been used to improve the stability of artificial joints.…”