Over the past decades, only a few new materials have been successfully introduced in orthopedics and neurosurgery alongside austenitic stainless steels and high-strength titanium alloys. While new metal alloys (NiTi, TiMo, TiZr, Ta) have been adopted by only a limited number of companies, polyaryletherketone homopolymers such as PEEK and PEKK have been widely used in many new medical devices for spinal surgery and other cranio-maxillofacial indications — either for entirely new products or as replacements for existing metal implants such as cages, pedicle screws, or cranial plates.
MRI compatibility and lower stiffness are two advantages of unfilled polymers that have supported their clinical introduction. More recently, reinforced resin (PEEK) implants with short or long fibers have been developed and commercialized. However, for both filled and unfilled materials, complete secondary osseointegration through bone apposition cannot be achieved, as a thin fibrous tissue layer initially forms on the material surface. The resulting potential implant instability represents a major drawback and limits its broader use in orthopedic surgery. This is why the need for Titanium coatings on PEEK was recognized at an early stage.
Thanks to its extensive expertise in implant coatings, Medicoat has expanded its Medipure™ titanium coating technology using Vacuum Plasma Spraying (VPS) to organic substrates such as PEEK, PEKK, CFR-PEEK, and long-fiber-reinforced materials. This technology has been successfully applied to various spinal implants, including cervical and lumbar cages, pedicle screws, and cranial plates.
The highly osseointegrative titanium surfaces, combined with the increased surface area of the rough coating, result in significantly improved osseointegration of PEEK-based medical devices. Using state-of-the-art plasma spray technology, Medicoat can fully coat complex PEEK or PEKK implant geometries, such as open structures with windows, thereby promoting osseointegration not only on flat bone-contacting surfaces but also within the internal structure. This supports bone growth throughout the entire implant.
The recently developed, coated PEEK medical devices, CE-marked and FDA-approved, will soon be launched to their respective markets.
Cyril Voisard, Head of Business Development
