By Antonio Riveiro, Ramón Soto, Rafael Comesaña, Mohamed Boutinguiza, Jesús del Val, Félix Quintero, Fernando Lusquiños, Juan Pou

One of the main requirements of a bone implant is to be able to withstand severe mechanical conditions during the required lifetime of the component. Nevertheless, the success of a bone implant relies upon the quality of the bone-implant reaction, which is markedly influenced by the surface topography and chemistry of the implant material. Biomaterials commonly used in implants only satisfy part of these requirements (see Fig. 1); for example, biomaterials such as Titanium or PEEK (poly aryl-ether-ether-ketone), have a high strength, good wear resistance, and excellent chemical resistance but their inferior bioactivity may lead to poor bone-implant interactions. Therefore, an intervening fibrous tissue layer occurs around the contact area between the bone and the implant. Continue reading →