Plasma immersion ion?implanted 3D?printed PEEK bone implants: In vivo sheep study shows strong osseointegration

Adhesion of regenerating bone tissue to orthopaedic implants is critical their long-term success. Titanium has excess rigidity, interferes with imaging, and complicates radiation treatment. Poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) a preferred material, but limited by biological inertness. We show that plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) imparts osteoadhesion on 3D printed PEEK using in vitro pull-off tests vivo torque sheep scapula model. PIII-PEEK prints incubated cells 9–14 times higher strength, compared untreated implants. Treated require seven for release from the scapula. propose as scaffold material tensile properties analogous collagen, fibrillar component bone, produce fracture-tough fully integrating scaffolds.