Plasma Activation and Self Bonding of PEEK for the Use in the Encapsulation of Medical Implants

Abstract

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and its composites have emerged as one of the main candidate materials for replacing titanium and its alloys for the encapsulating components of medical implants. PEEK, however, is a difficult material to bond without the use of adhesion promoting agents. Experiments based on the central composite rotatable design (CCRD) were used to find an optimum plasma surface modification treatment. X‐ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), contact angle measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to provide surface molecular and thermodynamic information. Higher self bond strength of PEEK was found to correlate with higher relative oxygen concentration and total surface energy. Mechanisms for the autohesive bond formation were developed based on the oxidation of the surface.

Influence of nitrogen plasma treatment on the wettability of polyetheretherketone and deposited chitosan layers

“…On the untreated PEEK surface 0.9% of nitrogen (Table 4) is in the amide and amine forms, as a result of contamination but after the nitrogen plasma treatment the total concentration of nitrogen on the surface increased to 2.6% and occurs in the: amine, amide, pyrrole, pyridine, and protonated amine group forms (Table 3). However, following Awaja et al [47] during plasma treatment of the polymer surface, there can occur the reaction between the adsorbates and radicals formed in the discharge volume. On the PEEK surface, oxygen is present in the form of C=O and C-O-C groups ( the obtained samples nitrogen groups are the most important.…”

Cell Adhesion to PEEK Treated by Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation and Deposition for Active Medical Implants

“…Most importantly, the elastic modulus of PEEK is close to that of cortical bone,7 allowing an even load distribution between the implant and bone, thereby reducing the possibility of stress shielding 8. Furthermore, surface activation of PEEK through plasma treatments results in the generation of strong autohesion bonds9–12 making it useful as an encapsulation shell for active medical implants.…”

Tribological Properties and Characterization of Diamond Like Carbon Coatings Deposited by MW/RF and RF Plasma‐Enhanced CVD Method on Poly(ether‐ether‐ketone)

“…There are researches conducted aiming at the implementation of that new material into stabilizing plates in fractures, as elements for hip joints as well as spinal inter‐body fusion cages in orthopaedics . In dentistry, it became applicable for both permanent dentures and dental implants . Regarding cardiac surgery there are works being conducted to be able to encapsulate this material in the implantation devices, i.e., artificial pacemakers or artificial cardiac valve discs made of that material .…”

“…In dentistry, it became applicable for both permanent dentures and dental implants . Regarding cardiac surgery there are works being conducted to be able to encapsulate this material in the implantation devices, i.e., artificial pacemakers or artificial cardiac valve discs made of that material . If we regard neurosurgery, in the future it will be possible to use PEEK for the production of well tolerated by the nervous tissue spine implants .…”

“…To execute the above, the modification of PEEK substrates by means of diamond like carbon (DLC) layers was used and their biological properties were preliminarily researched . Accessible in literature research results of carbon coatings on the PEEK substrate prove that it is possible to steer their roughness as well as their free surface energy . Carbon coatings increase the hardness and Young's modulus in relation to the unmodified material .…”