PNIPU: Implant material

2023: Product Announcement

On October 30, 2023, scientists from the Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNIPU) announced the creation of a material capable of combining the qualities of various types of bone tissue. The results of the study are published in the Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials.

According to TASS, the invention will expand the use of implants by adapting them to different medical cases and thus speed up the recovery of patients. Scientists plan to achieve this effect by installing scaffolds - temporary implants - for patients. After healing the damaged bone, the implant will be replaced with a full-fledged one.

Created a material capable of combining the qualities of different types of bone tissue

Scaffolds will be made from a material called polylactide - a biocompatible material that is widespread in bioprinting. Thanks to this, scientists will be able to adjust the properties of the scaffold so that the implant perfectly matches the area of ​ ​ tissue in which replacement is required. Depending on the patient's needs, scientists can use several types of gradients - porosity, cell size or morphology.

Trabecular tissue is called spongy in another way, it is needed to strengthen the organs. But cortical - more durable, responsible for supporting and protecting organs. To replace the damaged trabecular bone, scaffolds with high porosity are required - about 50-80%, and to replace the cortical bone - with low, 10-30%. The proposed structures combine elements that correspond to both parameters - commented on the development of the leading researcher of the laboratory "Mechanics of biocompatible materials and devices" Mikhail Tashkinov.

Further study of the material should contribute to a more accurate assessment of the mechanical behavior of scaffolds at various levels. This will help bring the scaffold design closer to the structure of human bones and thus simplify the integration of implants into the human body.^[1]

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