No abstract

About 30% failures of implant are caused by peri-implantitis. Subgingival plaque, consisting of S. sanguinis, F. nucleatum, P. gingivalis et al, is the initiating factor of peri-implantitis. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is widely used for the fabrication of implant abutment, healing cap and temporary abutment in dental applications. As a biologically inert material, PEEK has shown poor antibacterial properties. To promote the antibacterial activity of PEEK, we loaded ZnO/GO on sulfonated PEEK. We screened out that when mass ratio of ZnO/GO was 4:1, dip-coating time was 25 min, ZnO/GO modified SPEEK shown the best physical and chemical properties. At the meantime, the ZnO/GO-SPEEK samples possess a good biocompatibility. The ZnO/GO-SPEEK inhibits P. gingivalis obviously, and could exert an antibacterial activity to S. sanguinis in the early stage, prevents biofilm formation effectively. With the favorable in vitro performances, the modification of PEEK with ZnO/GO is promising for preventing peri-implantitis.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a semi‐crystalline thermoplastic polymer that has been gradually used in the repair of bone defects because of its well chemical stability, reliable biocompatibility, excellent X‐ray radiolucency, and low modulus. However, PEEK is a biologically inert material, and planktonic bacteria can adhere to its surface and eventually form biofilms, allowing for the rapid development of implant‐related infections. This review mainly introduces two important antibacterial modification strategies: antibacterial coating and surface morphology modification. Antibacterial coating include antibiotics, natural extracts, antimicrobial peptides, polymers, metals and metal oxides, selenium, fluoride, silicon nitride, and graphene oxide. These coatings can exert their antibacterial effect by inhibiting bacterial adhesion, killing bacteria by contact, or actively releasing antimicrobial substances. In terms of antibacterial surface topography, different surface microstructures have their respective antibacterial functions. Conical or cylindrical structures can exert stress on the bacterial surface causing the rupture of the cell membrane to kill bacteria. Nano protrusions or particles smaller than the size of bacteria can inhibit the adhesion of bacteria by reducing the contact area of bacteria and PEEK. The pit structure close to the size of bacteria can prevent the contact between adjacent bacteria and delay or prevent the formation of biofilm.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has become increasingly popular in dentistry and orthopedics due to its excellent chemical stability, reliable biosafety, and low elastic modulus. However, PEEK's biomechanical strength and bioactivity are limited and need to be increased as an implant material. The previous study in vitro has shown that the amino-functionalized carbon fiber reinforced PEEK (A-30%-CPEEK) possessed enhanced mechanical property and bioactivity. This study aims to evaluate the effect of amino groups modification on the osseointegration behavior of carbon fiber reinforced PEEK (30%-CPEEK) in rabbits. Herein, 30%-CPEEK and A-30%-CPEEK implant discs were implanted in rabbit skulls for 5 weeks, with pure titanium implants serving as a control. The bone-forming ability and osseointegration in vivo were systematically investigated by micro-computed tomography analysis, scanning electron microscope observation, and histological evaluation. Our results showed that all detection parameters were significantly different between the A-30%-CPEEK and 30%-CPEEK groups, favoring those in the A-30%-CPEEK, whose appraisal parameters were equal to or better than pure titanium. Therefore, this study supported the importance of amino groups in facilitating the new bone formation and bone-implant integration, suggesting that A-30%-CPEEK with enhanced osseointegration will be a promising material for dental or orthopedic implants.