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Bioengineering
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Advances in Biomaterials and Evaluation for Orthopaedic Implants
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Advances in Biomaterials and Evaluation for Orthopaedic Implants

A Special Issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354) belonging to the section "Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 2643

Editors

Dr. Amir Human Hoveidaei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
International Center for Limb Lengthening, Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 2125, USA
Interests: global orthopaedics; epidemiology in orthopaedics; bone infection; joint infection
Dr. Sean A. Tabaie

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Childrens Drive, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
Interests: pediatric orthopedics; pediatric limb reconstruction; cerebral palsy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Orthopaedic implants have significantly advanced the management of musculoskeletal disorders; however, long-term clinical success remains challenged by implant loosening, infection, wear, stress shielding, and insufficient osseointegration. Ongoing progress in biomaterials science, surface engineering, additive manufacturing, and biological evaluation methods is driving the development of next-generation orthopaedic devices with improved mechanical performance, biological integration, and patient-specific functionality.

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in the design, fabrication, characterisation, and clinical assessment of biomaterials for orthopaedic applications. Topics of interest include novel metallic, ceramic, polymeric, and composite biomaterials; bioactive and antibacterial surface modifications; multifunctional and smart coatings; biodegradable and bioresorbable materials; and 3D-printed or patient-specific implants. We also welcome studies focusing on in vitro and in vivo evaluation, biomechanical and tribological testing, computational modelling, and translational or clinical investigations.

In addition, contributions addressing implant performance under diverse clinical conditions—including imaging compatibility, sterilisation effects, and considerations related to radiotherapy or irradiated bone environments—are encouraged where relevant.

By bringing together research across materials science, biomechanics, and clinical orthopaedics, this Special Issue aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and promote innovations that enhance the safety, longevity, and functional outcomes of orthopaedic implants.

Dr. Amir Human Hoveidaei
Dr. Sean A. Tabaie
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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

  • orthopaedic implants
  • biomaterials
  • osseointegration
  • surface modification
  • additive manufacturing
  • implant evaluation
  • imaging compatibility

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 10369 KB  
Article
Position-Dependent Stability of an Unconstrained Total Talar Replacement and Its Suture Reinforcement: A Human Cadaveric Weight-Bearing Computed Tomography Study
by Georgi Raykov, Preslav Penev, Dominic Gehweiler, Jan Barcik, Boyko Gueorguiev, Hans-Christoph Pape, R. Geoff Richards, Dimitar Raykov and Torsten Pastor
Bioengineering 2026, 13(9), 990; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13090990 - 27 Aug 2026
Viewed by 256
Abstract
Total talar replacement (TTR) is a joint-preserving alternative to arthrodesis in end-stage talar collapse. However, excising the talus detaches its anchoring ligaments and capsule, and unconstrained prosthesis constructs are prone to malalignment and dislocation. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the instability and its [...] Read more.
Total talar replacement (TTR) is a joint-preserving alternative to arthrodesis in end-stage talar collapse. However, excising the talus detaches its anchoring ligaments and capsule, and unconstrained prosthesis constructs are prone to malalignment and dislocation. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the instability and its suture stabilisation vary across foot positions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantify the positional, load-dependent stability of an unconstrained TTR and the effect of its suture stabilisation. Five human cadaveric lower legs were imaged by weight-bearing computed tomography (CT) imaging in nine positions under 10 N and 700 N load in the intact condition and then with an unconstrained custom 3D-printed specimen-specific TTR, followed by supplementary transosseous suture stabilisation of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and deep tibiotalar deltoid in the third condition. In the intact ankle condition, load-induced displacements were minimal and unaffected by foot position, averaging no more than 0.52 mm and 0.62°. The unconstrained TTR exhibited position-dependent load-induced displacements, with talar shift increasing significantly by 2.29 mm in inversion and calcaneofibular distance decreasing significantly by 1.54 mm in eversion compared with the intact ankle condition (p ≤ 0.033). Suture stabilisation significantly decreased talar shift by 1.45 mm in inversion and significantly increased calcaneofibular distance by 1.37 mm in eversion, restoring these load-induced displacements toward the intact ankle condition (p = 0.002). In this human cadaveric weight-bearing CT imaging study, an unconstrained TTR benefited from suture reconstruction of the ATFL and deep tibiotalar deltoid attachments, highlighting the value of evaluating construct stability under load across the range of foot positions rather than in neutral stance alone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomaterials and Evaluation for Orthopaedic Implants)
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15 pages, 5759 KB  
Article
A Probabilistic Three-Dimensional Finite Element Model of a Cemented Hip Implant Failure Under Aseptic Loosening: A Case-Based Probabilistic Framework
by Daniel Truong, Scott J. Hazelwood, Jonathan Fow and Lanny V. Griffin
Bioengineering 2026, 13(6), 623; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13060623 - 27 May 2026
Viewed by 498
Abstract
Background: Hip implant fractures are rare, yet difficult to correct once they occur. For cemented implants, fracture is often associated with increased stresses at the implant stem when proximal regions of the implant have debonded. While deterministic analyses offer predictive power by using [...] Read more.
Background: Hip implant fractures are rare, yet difficult to correct once they occur. For cemented implants, fracture is often associated with increased stresses at the implant stem when proximal regions of the implant have debonded. While deterministic analyses offer predictive power by using averages for model inputs, averages fail to capture the variability inherent in device manufacturing and musculoskeletal biology. This study developed a probabilistic finite element model of a debonded hip implant to better account for some of these variabilities to predict the most likely failure mode. The hypothesis was that fatigue would be more likely to occur than overloading. Methods and Materials: Monte Carlo sampling generated 1000 simulations varying the material elastic modulus (implant, cement, and bone) and loading magnitude at stance phase of the gait. The resultant distributions of maximum von Mises stress at the stem were compared to distributions for failure properties in the literature. Results: The analysis found the likelihood of the implant failing due to overloading was remote. In contrast, fatigue failure had a 99.4% chance of occurring. Fracture mechanics predicted that the debonded implant would reach critical flaw length between 1.8 and 26.4 months, with a mean of 7.2 months. Conclusions: The results show good agreement with the findings of the case study the model was based on, particularly in predicting the location of failure and fatigue life. The results of this study provide a framework for developing future decision-making tools that ultimately may assist clinicians in deciding when interventions are necessary to minimize the risk of implant or periprosthetic fracture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomaterials and Evaluation for Orthopaedic Implants)
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Review

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23 pages, 2027 KB  
Review
The Standardization and Comparability Gap in Evaluating Antibacterial Surfaces for Load-Bearing Orthopedic Implants: A Critical Review
by Il-Hoon Kwak and Hyunsuk Choi
Bioengineering 2026, 13(9), 999; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13090999 - 27 Aug 2026
Viewed by 417
Abstract
Periprosthetic joint infection is among the most serious complications of joint replacement, and the implant surface, where infection begins, is a rational prevention target. Antibacterial titanium surfaces act by releasing an agent, by contact killing, or by resisting adhesion. Yet the field cannot [...] Read more.
Periprosthetic joint infection is among the most serious complications of joint replacement, and the implant surface, where infection begins, is a rational prevention target. Antibacterial titanium surfaces act by releasing an agent, by contact killing, or by resisting adhesion. Yet the field cannot readily tell which method performs best, because efficacy is evaluated with methods that differ at every level and are rarely comparable: the same surface can read as highly effective under one assay and inactive under another, so the test rather than the material decides the verdict. This review asks where comparability is lost and what would restore it, for permanent load-bearing arthroplasty implants. We dissect the gap across in vitro assays, durability testing, surface characterization, in vivo models, clinical infection definitions, and regulatory expectations and ask whether the antibacterial–osseointegration trade-off is assessed coherently. We then propose a ten-item, stage-stratified minimum-reporting checklist and test it retrospectively on thirteen open-access studies. No study reported every item required at its stage; none related antibacterial dose to a stated cytotoxicity threshold; and studies fell short at different tiers, so their reported efficacies are not commensurable. The checklist is offered as a testable starting point for multi-stakeholder consensus, not a finished standard. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomaterials and Evaluation for Orthopaedic Implants)
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37 pages, 3426 KB  
Review
Biodegradable Magnesium-Based Implants in Sports Orthopedic Surgery: Advances in Alloy Design, Surface Engineering, and Translational Evidence
by Georgi Raykov, Jakob Adolf, Benedikt Hochbein, Georgi Enev, Dimitar Tenev, Michail Dimitrov, Dimitar Raykov and Nikolay Dimitrov
Bioengineering 2026, 13(8), 926; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13080926 - 15 Aug 2026
Viewed by 664
Abstract
Biodegradable magnesium (Mg)-based implants represent a paradigm shift in orthopedic biomaterials, offering temporary mechanical support, inherent osteogenic bioactivity, and elimination of hardware removal surgery. These properties are particularly attractive for sports orthopedic applications, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, meniscal [...] Read more.
Biodegradable magnesium (Mg)-based implants represent a paradigm shift in orthopedic biomaterials, offering temporary mechanical support, inherent osteogenic bioactivity, and elimination of hardware removal surgery. These properties are particularly attractive for sports orthopedic applications, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, meniscal fixation, and osteochondral fragment refixation, where young, active patients demand rapid return to function and where permanent metallic hardware poses long-term risks of stress shielding, imaging artifact, and reoperation. Despite extensive preclinical evidence demonstrating that Mg-based interference screws promote fibrocartilaginous enthesis regeneration, attenuate peri-tunnel bone loss, and achieve biomechanical fixation comparable to titanium, no human clinical trial has yet evaluated Mg fixation devices for soft-tissue reconstruction in sports medicine. Meanwhile, clinical fracture fixation data from over 468 patients across multiple trials and a meta-analysis confirm complication rates equivalent to those of titanium. This narrative review synthesizes the current evidence on Mg alloy design, surface engineering strategies, preclinical sports medicine applications, clinical translation in fracture fixation, imaging compatibility, and the remaining barriers to clinical adoption in sports orthopedic surgery. By mapping the translational gap between promising animal data and the absence of clinical sports medicine trials, this review aims to guide future research priorities and accelerate the pathway toward clinical application of Mg-based devices in sports orthopedics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomaterials and Evaluation for Orthopaedic Implants)
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