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New coating for hip implants could prevent premature failure

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Chemical engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a coating for implants that may aid bone adhesion and help prevent premature failure.

The coating, detailed in a study published in Advanced Materials, could allow for a hip implant to last longer than its natural lifetime with lower risk of failure or infection.

“Our idea is to prevent failure by coating these implants with materials that can induce native bone that is generated within the body,” lead study author Nisarg J. Shah stated. “That bone grows into the implant and helps fix it in place.”

The coating, according to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology news release, is a film on the surface of the implant ranging from 100 nm to 1 micron in thickness. The film is composed of multiple layers, including hydroxyapatite — which attracts mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow and provides an interface for the formation of new bone — and another layer which releases a stimulating growth factor, helping the mesenchymal cells develop into osteoblasts. These osteoblasts begin to produce new bone to fill in the spaces surrounding the implant and eliminating the need for bone cement.

“When bone cement is used, dead space is created between the existing bone and implant stem, where there are no blood vessels,” Shah stated. “If bacteria colonize this space they would keep proliferating, as the immune system is unable to reach and destroy them. Such a coating would be helpful in preventing that from occurring.”

The researchers noted that it takes at least 2 weeks or 3 weeks for the bone to fill in and completely stabilize the implant, but a patient could still walk or perform physical therapy during this time.

Separating this hydroxyapatite coating from those seen in previous efforts is the application method, Shah stated. The film produced through the method detailed in the study is thinner and less likely to break away from the implant or drain from the implant site.

Reference:

• Shah NJ, Hong J, Hyder MN, Hammond PT. Osteophilic multilayer coatings for accelerated bone tissue growth. Adv Mater. 2012. doi: 10.1002/adma.201104475