Medical Design Briefs - August 2021 - 16

TECHNOLOGY LEADERS Orthopedics/Implants/Prosthetics
Extending the Service Life of Joint
Prostheses with PEEK Biomaterials
H
igh-performance polymer VESTAKEEP®
PEEK,
a proven
implant material for medical
technology, is being explored
as a material for complex joint prosthesis
systems. Evonik, a specialty chemicals
company based in Germany, is drawing
on the expertise of medical specialists at
the world-recognized Center for Knee
and Hip Replacement at Massachusetts
General Hospital in Boston (USA). If
the innovation succeeds, the service life
of VESTAKEEP-based joint prostheses
could be significantly extended, consequently
reducing revision surgery or
years of pain therapy. The success of
PEEK-based hip prostheses for use in
veterinary medicine from the Swiss company
KYON supported Evonik's innovation
approach.
Joints are complex movement systems
that fulfill important anatomical functions
and are constantly exposed to
heavy stress. Evonik is pursuing the
approach of analyzing the weak points
of the joint prosthesis systems already
established on the market in human
medicine and developing a solution with
its polyetheretherketone high-performance
polymer (PEEK). Evonik is looking
into the use of VESTAKEEP in
human joint prostheses to improve the
quality of life for patients. For example,
the company has learned to understand
PEEK as a material component in complex
joint prosthesis systems that can be
integrated into existing technologies
according to the modular principle.
Hip joint replacement operations
have long been among the most standard
operations. In the group of OECD
countries, an average of 182 procedures
were performed per 100,000 population
in 2017, according to the
Health at a Glance 2017 Report. This
figure was 30 percent higher than 10
years earlier. Today's joint prosthesis
systems are convincing in terms of availability
and reliability.
However, friction partners - so-called
inlays such as those between the head
and the cup of a hip prosthesis
16
Intro
Cov
PIN-ON-DISC
COMBINATIONS
12
10
8
6
4
2
Wear Rate [mg/MC]
12.9
9.68
3.65
1.98
XLPE
PEEK
2.7
XLPE
CoCr
UHMWPE
PEEK
UHMWPE
PEEK
PEEK
CoCr
PIN
DISC
Fig. 1. - Based on the chosen study design, the possibility to replace the CoCr metal against PEEK - and have
existing XLPE or UHMWPE as tribological partner - was evaluated as well as the option to replace the XLPE or
UHMWPE with PEEK and have CoCr as tribological partner to PEEK.
PIN-ON-DISC
TESTS
PIN
Human joint
applications
PIN
DISC
DISC
Fig. 2 - The use of PEEK can reduce the wear and increase the lifetime of artificial joints.
anchored in the bone - are a primary
weak point of current technologies. The
tribological PEEK biomaterial could
make the decisive difference in the
future and extend the service life of a
hip prosthesis fourfold.
Tribiological Test of PEEK for Joint at
MGH in Boston
The specialty chemicals company's
determination is expressed in its close
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ToC
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A
cooperation with the Massachusetts
General Hospital (MGH) in Boston.
Evonik draws on the expertise of medical
specialists from MGH's globally
recognized center for knee and hip
replacement. Evonik has tested its
PEEK biomaterial for tribological
properties in its professional laboratories.
The main purpose of the collaboration
is to identify parts of artificial
joint systems at which PEEK can proMedical
Design Briefs, August 2021
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Medical Design Briefs - August 2021

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