MXene-aromatic thermosetting copolyester nanocomposite as an extremely wear-resistant biocompatible implant material for osteoarthritis applications

Abstract

Osteoarthritis disorder ranks amongst the most common disabling chronic diseases in young and older adults worldwide. It is linked to degenerative joint diseases and frequently occurs with pain in the knee, hand, hip, and feet. This progression breaks down the cartilage and underlying bones over time and causes motion disability. Artificial bone implantation is a standard therapy to treat patients with severe osteoarthritis injuries. However, commonly-used polymeric implant materials such as polyethylene, poly(aryl ether ether ketone) (PEEK), and polymethyl methacrylate are reported to possess weak tribological properties. In this regard, the wear debris contributes to the progress of periprosthetic osteolysis, and replacement of implant might be required at later stages. This study reports the development of an extremely high wear-resistant composite including aromatic thermosetting copolyester (ATSP) matrix and titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) MXene nanosheets reinforcement. The tribomechanical properties of the ATSP-MXene composite were tuned by optimizing the MXene content. The ATSP-MXene is highly biocompatible with mesenchymal stem cells and possesses excellent compressive strength, hardness, and wear resistance in synovial fluid over conventional polyethylene material. Overall, the designed ATSP-MXene shows promising properties of an implant material that paves its way for future applications in medicine.