Silicon nitride (Si(3)N(4)) is an industrial ceramic used in spinal fusion and maxillofacial reconstruction. Maximizing bone formation and minimizing bacterial infection are desirable attributes in orthopedic implants designed to adhere to living bone. This study has compared these attributes of Si(3)N(4) implants with implants made from two other orthopedic biomaterials, i.e. poly(ether ether ...

BACKGROUND Surgical treatments for early onset scoliosis (EOS) correct curvatures and improve respiratory function but involve many complications. A distractible, or 'growing rod,' implant construct that is more flexible than current metal rod systems may sufficiently correct curves in small children and reduce complications due to biomechanical factors. The purpose of this pilot study was to d...

Optimization of application and system software for energy efficiency is of ecological, economical, and technical importance—and still challenging. Deficiency in adequate tooling support is a major issue. The few tools available (i.e., measurement instruments, energy profilers) have poorly conceived interfaces and their integration into widely used development processes is missing. This implies...

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) possesses excellent mechanical properties similar to those of human bone and is considered the best alternative material other than titanium for orthopedic spine and trauma implants. However, the deficient osteogenic properties and the bioinertness of PEEK limit its fields of application. The aim of this study was to limit these drawbacks by coating the surface of ...

The nano-sized silica fillers reinforced poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) composites were fabricated by means of compression molding technique. he nano-sized silica, measuring 30 nm in size, was firstly modified by surface pretreatment with stearic acid. The performances and properties f the resulting PEEK/SiO2 nanocomposites were examined in terms of tensile loading, hardness, dynamic mechanica...

The poor bonding strength between biopolymer and bioceramic has remained an unsolved issue. In this study, graphene oxide (GO) was introduced as an interface phase to improve the interfacial bonding between polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and hydroxyapatite (HAP) for tissue engineering scaffolds. On the one hand, the conjugated structure of GO could form strong π-π stacking interaction with the ben...