Fabricating biomimetic porous PEEK scaffolds for bone implants

Abstract

Poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) is a high strength polymer with strong potential for medical use, especially for bone implants. In this research, a novel method of making biomimetic porous PEEK scaffolds is developed. PEEK and polyethersulfone (PES) are blended at a proper ratio to generate a co-continuous phase structure. With solid-state foaming, PES is efficiently removed by leaching to yield interconnected porous PEEK scaffolds. The pore size and pore gradient of the PEEK scaffolds can be easily controlled by controlling the annealing time and temperature of the PEEK/PES blend. This study presents the conditions of the proposed fabrication process and compares the fabricated porous PEEK scaffolds with those fabricated using other methods. It is shown that the structural morphology and mechanical properties of the fabricated porous PEEK is generally comparable to those of trabecular bones, suggesting these scaffolds could be excellent candidates for bone implant applications.