New biomaterials for orthopedic implants

Abstract

With the increasing use of orthopedic implants worldwide, there continues to be great interest in the development of novel technologies to further improve the effective clinical performance of contemporary treatment modalities and devices. Continuing research interest also exists in developing novel bulk biomaterials (eg, polycarbonate urethanes, silicon) or novel formulations of existing but less widely used biomaterials (eg, polyaryletherketones, polyetheretherketone). There is also growing focus on customizing the material properties of bioabsorbables and composite materials with fillers such as bioactive ceramics. In terms of tissue engineering, more recent developments have focused on basic engineering and biological fundamentals to use cells, signaling factors, and the scaffold material itself to better restore tissue and organ structure and function. There has also been recent controversy with the use of injectables as a nonsurgical approach to treat joint disorders, but more attention is being directed toward the development of newer formulations with different molecular weights. The industry has also continuously sought to improve coatings to supplement the function of existing implants, with the goal of improving their osseointegrative qualities and incorporating antimicrobial properties. These include the use of bone morphogenetic protein, bisphosphonates, calcium phosphate, silicon nitride, and iodine. Due to the widespread use of bone graft materials, recent developments in synthetic graft materials have explored further development of bioactive glass, ceramic materials, and porous titanium particles. This review article provides an overview of ongoing efforts in the above research areas.

Development and blood compatibility assessment of electrospun polyvinyl alcohol blended with metallocene polyethylene and plectranthus amboinicus (PVA/mPE/PA) for bone tissue engineering

“…The diseases or traumas included in this list are tumor ablation, bone cysts, osteolysis, and neurosurgical defects. 1 Recently, in biomedical applications, bone tissue engineering is promising as a new approach for bone repair. The tissue-engineered bone scaffold helps in eliminating problems of donor scarcity, supply limitation, pathogen transfer, and immune rejection compared to traditional autograft and allograft procedures.…”

Bioresorbable Electronic Implants: History, Materials, Fabrication, Devices, and Clinical Applications

“…Surgical mesh (Figure b) can also be fabricated with absorbable synthetic polymers. Similarly, as a structural support, bioresorbable orthopedic implants whose mechanical rigidity is comparable to that of conventional bioinert implants have been developed (Figure c) . Such implants are based on several degradable metals (e.g., manganese, iron, and zinc), and their alloys have been used to tune the biodegradation behavior and improve the mechanical properties.…”

“…c) Optical image of bioresorbable orthopedic implant for fixation and repair. Reproduced with permission . Copyright 2015, Dove Medical Press.…”

A Review of Additive Mixed-Electric Discharge Machining: Current Status and Future Perspectives for Surface Modification of Biomedical Implants

“…A good metallic implant is expected to have the following characteristics: Although new biomaterials are continuously evolving, to date, there is no developed metal or alloy that is completely bioinert or possesses all the required characteristics. Thus, there is still need to synthesize or modify the surface of new biomaterials [53]. However, among various developed biomaterials, Ti alloys are considered the most suited and possess superior characteristics compared to stainless steel and CoCr alloys [23].…”