Evaluation of silver bio-functionality in a multicellular in vitro model: towards reduced animal usage in implant-associated infection research

Background: Despite the extensive use of silver ions or nanoparticles in research related to preventing implant-associated infections (IAI), their use in clinical practice has been debated. This is because the strong antibacterial properties of silver are counterbalanced by adverse effects on host cells. One of the reasons for this may be the...

Bone regeneration in critical-sized bone defects treated with additively manufactured porous metallic biomaterials: The effects of inelastic mechanical properties

Additively manufactured (AM) porous metallic biomaterials, in general, and AM porous titanium, in particular, have recently emerged as promising candidates for bone substitution. The porous design of such materials allows for mimicking the elastic mechanical properties of native bone tissue and showed to be effective in improving bone...

Fatigue and quasi-static mechanical behavior of bio-degradable porous biomaterials based on magnesium alloys

Magnesium and its alloys have the intrinsic capability of degrading over time in vivo without leaving toxic degradation products. They are therefore suitable for use as biodegradable scaffolds that are replaced by the regenerated tissues. One of the main concerns for such applications, particularly in load-bearing areas, is the sufficient...

Simultaneous delivery of multiple antibacterial agents from additively manufactured porous biomaterials to fully eradicate planktonic and adherent Staphylococcus aureus

Implant-associated infections are notoriously difficult to treat and may even result in amputation and death. The first few days after surgery are the most critical time to prevent those infections, preferably through full eradication of the micro-organisms entering the body perioperatively. That is particularly important for patients with a...

Fatigue crack propagation in additively manufactured porous biomaterials

Additively manufactured porous titanium implants, in addition to preserving the excellent biocompatible properties of titanium, have very small stiffness values comparable to those of natural bones. Although usually loaded in compression, biomedical implants can also be under tensional, shear, and bending loads which leads to crack initiation...

Porous titanium for bone substitution: Mechanobiology meets surface science

People in both developing and developed worlds are increasingly facing musculoskeletal problems that require long-term clinical performance of orthopaedic implants including bone substitutes. Porous biomaterials could play an important role in improving the longevity and overall performance of orthopaedic implants and that is why they have been...