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Bioengineering
Special Issues
Advanced Technology for Implant Polymers in Orthopaedics, Spine, and Trauma
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Advanced Technology for Implant Polymers in Orthopaedics, Spine, and Trauma

A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 2009

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Steven M. Kurtz

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Guest Editor
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Interests: orthopaedics; spine; trauma; UHMWPE and PEEK biomaterials
Dr. Hannah Spece

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Guest Editor
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Interests: orthopaedics; spine; additive manufacturing (3D printing); biomaterial characterization
Dr. Pierangiola Bracco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
Interests: UHMWPE; PEEK; implant retrieval analysis; polymers degradation; antioxidants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Francisco Javier Medel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: UHMWPE; PEEK; implant retrieval analysis; fatigue; fracture; wear; vibrational spectroscopies; 3D printing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the Special Issue dedicated to Advanced Technology for Implant Polymers in Orthopaedics, Spine and Trauma. This Special Issue is also the official proceedings for the 2024 Implant Polymes: UHMWPE and PEEK Conference (https://biomed.drexel.edu/peekandpoly/) which is convened in Barcelona on June 20–21, 2024. The purpose of this Special Issue, as well as the conference, is to bring together engineers, scientists, regulators, and clinicians from academia, industry, and government to present leading edge research on advancements in medical grade UHMWPE, PEEK, and the rapidly growing field of polymer implant additive manufacturing technology. In addition to UHMWPE and PEEK, the Special Issue and conference will also broadly showcase point-of-care additive manufacturing of implantable polymers, and hopefully attract submissions from not only the entire PAEK family, but also 3D-printable HWPEs and other implant polymers that are being exploited by 3D printing such as EVA, PPSU, as well as bioresorbable polymers, such as polylactides and polycaprolactones.

Prof. Dr. Steven M. Kurtz
Dr. Hannah Spece
Dr. Pierangiola Bracco
Prof. Dr. Francisco Javier Medel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Bioengineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • UHMWPE
  • highly crosslinked UHMWPE
  • HXLPE
  • PEEK
  • PEKK
  • PAEK
  • additive manufacturing
  • AM
  • 3D printing

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 8766 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Feasibility and Performance of Hybrid Overmolded UHMWPE 3D-Printed PEEK Structural Composites for Orthopedic Implant Applications: A Pilot Study
by James A. Smith, Cemile Basgul, Bita Soltan Mohammadlou, Mark Allen and Steven M. Kurtz
Bioengineering 2024, 11(6), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11060616 - 17 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1538
Abstract
Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) components for orthopedic implants have historically been integrated into metal backings by direct-compression molding (DCM). However, metal backings are costly, stiffer than cortical bone, and may be associated with medical imaging distortion and metal release. Hybrid-manufactured DCM UHMWPE overmolded additively [...] Read more.
Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) components for orthopedic implants have historically been integrated into metal backings by direct-compression molding (DCM). However, metal backings are costly, stiffer than cortical bone, and may be associated with medical imaging distortion and metal release. Hybrid-manufactured DCM UHMWPE overmolded additively manufactured polyetheretherketone (PEEK) structural components could offer an alternative solution, but are yet to be explored. In this study, five different porous topologies (grid, triangular, honeycomb, octahedral, and gyroid) and three surface feature sizes (low, medium, and high) were implemented into the top surface of digital cylindrical specimens prior to being 3D printed in PEEK and then overmolded with UHMWPE. Separation forces were recorded as 1.97–3.86 kN, therefore matching and bettering the historical industry values (2–3 kN) recorded for DCM UHMWPE metal components. Infill topology affected failure mechanism (Type 1 or 2) and obtained separation forces, with shapes having greater sidewall numbers (honeycomb-60%) and interconnectivity (gyroid-30%) through their builds, tolerating higher transmitted forces. Surface feature size also had an impact on applied load, whereby those with low infill-%s generally recorded lower levels of performance vs. medium and high infill strategies. These preliminary findings suggest that hybrid-manufactured structural composites could replace metal backings and produce orthopedic implants with high-performing polymer–polymer interfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technology for Implant Polymers in Orthopaedics, Spine, and Trauma)
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