Calcium Silicate Whiskers‐Enforced Poly(Ether‐Ether‐Ketone) Composites with Improved Mechanical Properties and Biological Activities for Bearing Bone Reconstruction

Abstract

Poly (ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) displays promising potential application in bone tissue repair and orthopedic surgery due to its good biocompatibility and chemical stability. However, the bio-inertness and poor mechanical strength of PEEK greatly limit its application in load-bearing bones. In this study, calcium silicate whiskers (CSws) are synthesized and then compounded with PEEK to fabricate the PEEK/CSw composites with excellent mechanical properties, biological activity. Compared with PEEK, the PEEK/CSw composites exhibited higher hydrophilicity and ability to deposit hydroxyapatite on the surface. CSws are evenly dispersed in the PEEK matrix at 10 wt% content and the mechanical strength of the PEEK/CSw composite is ≈96.9 ± 2.4 MPa, 136.3 ± 2.4 MPa, and 266.0 ± 3.2 MPa, corresponding to tensile strength, compressive strength, and bending strength, respectively, which is 20%, 18%, and 52% higher than that of pure PEEK. The composites improve the adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Furthermore, PEEK/CSw composite remarkably improves bone formation and osteointegration, which has higher bone repair capacity than PEEK. These results demonstrate that the PEEK/CSw scaffolds display superior abilities to integrate with the host bone and promising potential in the field of load bearing bone repair.

Recent Advances in Whiskers: Properties and Clinical Applications in Dentistry

“… 184 In addition, whiskers accelerate the process of osseointegration by modulating the inflammatory response and tissue regeneration processes. Wang et al 185 composited calcium silicate whiskers (CSws) with poly(ether-ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) to prepare PEEK/CSw composites. The tensile, compressive, and flexural strengths of the PEEK/CSws composites were increased by 20%, 18%, and 52%, respectively, compared to those of PEEK.…”