Micro

Contemporary knee prostheses rely predominantly on a metal–polyethylene bearing couple, which—despite substantial advances in material engineering—continues to generate polymeric wear particles over time. While the local biological effects of polyethylene debris, such as inflammation and osteolysis, are well-characterised, their potential systemic implications remain insufficiently explored. In this review, we synthesise multidisciplinary evidence to evaluate the generation, biological behaviour, and systemic dissemination of polyethylene-derived nano- and microplastics (NMPs) released from knee prostheses. We also contextualise prosthetic wear within the broader toxicological framework of NMP exposure, highlighting translocation pathways, interactions with immune and metabolic systems, and potential multi-organ effects reported in recent experimental and clinical studies. Current findings suggest that prosthetic wear may represent an under-recognised internal source of NMP exposure, with possible implications for long-term patient health. A clearer understanding of the systemic behaviour of prosthetic-derived NMPs is essential to guide future biomonitoring studies, improve prosthetic materials, and support the development of safer, more biocompatible implant designs.

The process of wound healing is intricate and regulated by a network of cellular, molecular, and biochemical pathways. Acute wounds progress via distinct phases of hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Chronic wounds frequently cease to heal and exhibit resistance to conventional therapies. These types of injuries are frequently attributed to diabetes, infection, or senescence. Existing therapies are constrained due to their ineffectiveness against bacteria, inability to promote regeneration, and inadequate control over medication release. Nanotechnology presents novel methods to overcome these challenges by providing multifunctional platforms that enable biological repair and medicinal delivery. Nanoparticles, which combat germs and modulate the immune system, in addition to being intelligent carriers that react to pH, oxidative stress, or enzymatic activity, provide targeted and adaptive wound therapy. Nanocomposite hydrogels are particularly advantageous as biointeractive dressings due to their ability to maintain wound moisture while facilitating regulated drug delivery. Recent advancements indicate their potential to aid in tissue regeneration, enhance therapy precision, and address issues related to safety and translation. Nanotechnology-based approaches, especially smart hydrogels, give significant promise to transform the future of wound care due to their flexibility, adaptability, and efficiency.

This paper presents a theoretical and experimental investigation of the amplitude–frequency response of a triple-microcantilever system designed for real-time ultra-low mass detection. The present study focuses on the unfunctionalized configuration to clarify the intrinsic electromechanical behavior of this system. Starting with analytical expressions, output voltage amplitude–frequency responses are derived for a Wheatstone-bridge-based readout circuit and used to analyze the relationship between the resonant frequencies and mechanical amplitude–frequency responses of the three microcantilevers and the resulting electrical response. The extrema and zero-crossing points of the output voltage do not trivially coincide with the individual resonance peaks or their intersection points; this offers more freedom for defining strong detection criteria. A specialized experimental setup has been developed and used to measure the frequency response of a fabricated triple-microcantilever prototype; good agreement with the theoretical predictions has been found within the operating range. Initial humidification tests confirm the high sensitivity of the microsystem against small added masses, corresponding to an estimated detection limit on the order of 10⁻¹⁶ kg for the unfunctionalized device. In this way, the present work confirms the validity of the proposed triple-microcantilever configuration for ultra-low mass sensing and outlines its potential for future application in pathogen detection upon surface functionalization.