Bioactive Coatings for Orthopedic Implants

Developing Bioactive Coatings for Better Orthopaedic Implants

Bioactive coatings play a vital role in the success of implants such as knees or hips, as their properties induce a biological response that is beneficial to health. Doctoral student Imran Deen and Professor Federico Rosei from Institut National de la recherche scientifique (INRS) are working on a coating that mimics bone tissue. Professor Rosei said, "Conventional metal, ceramic or polymer implants have limited bioactive properties. The healing process can be lengthy and the risk of rejection may be higher. The development of next-generation implant materials that support compatibility and integration is very important."

Bioactive Materials

The research team is working on a state-of-the-art coating based on three bioactive materials. Chitosan, found in shrimp shells, has antimicrobial properties. Collagen, the organic component of bone, facilitates cell migration and growth. Copper-doped phosphate glass stimulates blood vessel formation and bone reconstruction. Doctoral student Imran Deen said, "The ability to deposit these types of coatings allows for the potential to create implants with specialized biological properties. These coatings are promising for biomedical applications since they can provide better implant-host interactions."

An Innovative Deposition Method

The team uses electrophoretic deposition to create the coating. The implant serves as an electrode onto which particles of bioactive material accumulate and form a layer. The method does not damage the structure and properties of bioactive materials, and unlike other deposition processes currently in use, it is viable at standard ambient temperature and pressure without expensive equipment and on complex shapes. Since deposition can be easily adapted to specific applications, the process is also versatile. For example, the technique can be applied to hydrophilic and antimicrobial coatings, bone surface reconstruction, or coatings that are biologically and chemically inert. The product can be used to produce coronary or venous stents, in bone transfers, or in medical settings to prevent the transmission of bacteria and thus biological infections. The next step is to perform additional studies, particularly to biologically validate the proof of concept. Before this type of coating can be used in clinical applications, cell proliferation on the coating surface must be measured and in vivo tissue adhesion must be evaluated. The study received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canada Research Chairs, UNESCO Chair on Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion, Conservation and Storage (MATECSS), and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.

Source:

Materials provided by Institut national de la recherche scientifique - INRS. Original written by Audrey-Maude Vézina. Journal Source: Imran Deen, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Zhiming M. Wang, Federico Rosei. Electrophoretic deposition of collagen/chitosan films with copper-doped phosphate glasses for orthopaedic implants. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2022; 607: 869 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.08.199 Institut national de la recherche scientifique - INRS. "Developing bioactive coatings for better orthopaedic implants." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211222084027.htm (accessed January 4, 2022).