title: Frictional and bone ingrowth properties of engineered surface topographies produced by electron beam technology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electron beam melting (E-beam) is a new technology to produce 3-dimensional surface topographies for cementless orthopedic implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The friction coefficients of two newly developed E-beam produced surface topographies were in vitro compared with sandblasted E-beam and titanium plasma sprayed controls. Bone ingrowth (direct bone-implant contact) was determined by implanting the samples in the femoral condyles of 6 goats for a period of 6 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Friction coefficients of the new structures were comparable to the titanium plasma sprayed control. The direct bone-implant contact was 23.9 and 24.5% for the new surface structures. Bone-implant contact of the sandblasted and titanium plasma sprayed control was 18.2 and 25.5%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frictional and bone ingrowth properties of the E-beam produced surface structures are similar to the plasma-sprayed control. However, since the maximal bone ingrowth had not been reached for the E-beam structures during the relatively short-term period, longer-term follow-up studies are needed to assess whether the E-beam structures lead to a better long-term performance than surfaces currently in use, such as titanium plasma spray coating.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. L.Biemond@orthop.umcn.nl
authors.forename: J Elizabeth
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Biemond
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aquarius
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Verdonschot
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buma
mesh_terms: D000497:Alloys / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004583:Electrons; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods; D016062:Porosity; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; D018786:Bone Substitutes; C031462:titanium alloy (TiAl6V4); D014025:Titanium