Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) has excellent properties, such as high biocompatibility and an elastic modulus similar to bone, which makes it a suitable biomaterial. When modified with sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4) and hydroxyapatite (HA), its workability and bioactivity is enhanced, and this makes it of great importance in medicine. This study investigates a better combination of process parameters to manufacture sulfonated PEEK/HA (SPEEK/HA) membranes for biomaterials. Chemical, thermal, and biological analyses were carried out on all samples. The sulfonated structure was observed to enhance wettability, adhesion, and cell viability. Furthermore, an increase in the degree of sulfonation facilitated their workability as required for biomaterials; making them suitable for osseointegration. Besides, the SPEEK/HA membranes presented cell adhesion, confirming the viability to use as biomaterial. This study presents a cheap alternative method to easily process biomaterials of improved workability.

Cranioencephalic traumatism (TBI) is a common situation in trauma hospitals and has become responsible for high rates of mortality worldwide. When the victim of TBI is affected by injuries to the skullcap with a need for grafting, problems regarding the availability of suitable and affordable materials eventually happen. In this study, a 3D structure of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) that mimics the cranial bone morphology for use in cranioplasty was developed. Samples of different formulations, in the form of round bars, were obtained through uniaxial compression, and porosity was controlled by the salt leaching technique. Then, the specimens were characterized in terms of pore morphology and distribution, surface roughness, compression resistance and cytotoxicity. Results exhibited high levels of similarity of the 3D strutures of PEEK to the natural human bone, which indicates the effectiveness of the proposed method in mimicking the morphology of the compact/porous/compact system of the skullcap (diploe).

Este artigo analisa o Ensino de Ética e Bioética (EEB) nos Programas de Residência Multiprofissional em Saúde (PRMS) vinculados à Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brasil. A fim de compreender o EEB em sete programas pesquisados, avaliamos sua perspectiva teórica com base nos projetos pedagógicos (PP) comparando com um currículo de referência (“Core Curriculum”, Unesco). Para avaliar o aspecto prático, desenvolvemos 11 entrevistas semiestruturadas (critério de saturação) com preceptores (as) avaliadas por análise de conteúdo (abordagem framework). Os PP analisados tinham carga horária e módulos temáticos aquém daqueles propostos no currículo referência. Os (as) preceptores (as) desconhecem o EEB como parte do currículo dos PRMS. Apontamos a qualificação da comunicação universidade e serviços e o reconhecimento das contribuições dos (as) preceptores (as) na formação dos residentes como medidas importantes para qualificar o EEB.