Ternary Ti alloys functionalised with antibacterial activity

Abstract

Prosthesis bacterial infection occurring during surgery is a rising health issue. Pathogenic bacterial infection causes inflammation, interferes with the healing process, inhibits osteogenesis and, eventually, leads to implant failure. These issues can be tackled either by applying coatings or developing multifunctional (i.e. structural and antibacterial) materials. In this work, β eutectoid bearing functionalised Ti alloys were designed and manufactured via the cost-effective press and sinter powder metallurgy route. The systematic analysis of the ternary Ti–xCu–yMn alloys shows that the mechanical properties proportionally increase with the amount of alloying elements added. All the ternary Ti–xCu–yMn alloys have strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli with respect to the negative control (i.e. pure Ti). Our study demonstrates that ternary Ti–xCu–yMn alloys are promising candidates for structural prostheses functionalised with antibacterial capability.

Recent Advances in Research on Antibacterial Metals and Alloys as Implant Materials

“…These characteristics show good prospects for the prevention and treatment of orthopedic IAI. However, due to the potential toxicity of Al and V ions, Cu has been added to other Ti alloys such as Ti5Al2.5Fe, Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr, and Ti-Mn alloys to endow these alloys with antibacterial properties (Yamanoglu et al, 2018;Fowler et al, 2019;Bolzoni et al, 2020).…”

New ternary powder metallurgy Ti alloys via eutectoid and isomorphous beta stabilisers additions

“…Amongst the alloying elements of titanium alloys, manganese (Mn) is one of the strongest stabilisers of the allotropic β titanium phase 8 , and can also reduce the cost of the alloy 9 , 10 . From a biological standpoint, Mn plays a key role in the osteogenesis and in the mechanism of bone resorption 11 , 12 , where Mn deficiencies have been reported to lead to disproportionate growth of the skeleton 11 .…”

Enhanced Antibacterial Ability and Bioactivity of Polyetherketoneketone Modified with LL-37

“…Orthopedic implant infection is a very serious issue that can lead to loosening and failure of implants and even cause serious consequences such as a requirement for a second surgery or amputation. Bacterial adhesion, proliferation, and consequent biofilm growth are of particular concern for implant infections. , Although titanium-based implants commonly used in the orthopedic field have good biocompatibility, these materials lack antibacterial activity, and there are problems such as stress shielding and release of harmful metal ions after implantation in vivo. − Therefore, recent research has concentrated on seeking substitute materials to overcome these limitations. The polyaryletherketone (PAEK) family of high-temperature thermoplastic polymers has attracted a significant amount of interest for use as orthopedic implant biomaterial because of its suitable elastic modulus value akin to that of bone and its superior chemical stability. − Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) are representatives of the PAEK family .…”