Chapter 7 - Porous Osseoconductive Layering for Enhancement of Osseointegration

Abstract

Structuring of a porous layer on the surface of orthopedic implants is highly attractive for the enhancement of the osseointegration. Porous layer as a permanent osseoconductive layer could be considered as a host for the promotion of bone in-growth while increasing the percentage of bone to implant contact (BIC) at the interface of the bone implant. Porous layer might be processed in different porosity characteristics such as porosity percentage, pore size, interconnection level of porosity, and variant mechanical properties. Likewise, the porous layer could be developed from different biomaterials with good biocompatibility effects. In orthopedic implants, titanium and tantalum have been greatly utilized in formation, creation, or attachment of a porous layer on the orthopedic implants. The establishment target of porous surface is harmonization of the implant surface with the porous structure of the bone tissue either cortical or cancellous bones. As an advanced progress, dynamic porous structure was interestingly introduced as the promising solution for better osseointegration of orthopedic implants to the bone tissue (particularly total joint replacements) at which the penetration of the porous layer through the porous structure of the bone is mechanically induced. In this chapter, the benefits and challenges of porous structure on the surface of orthopedic implants are reviewed and the advantages of each method for targeted clinical needs and indications are discussed.