A Porous TiAl6V4 Implant Material for Medical Application.
Increased durability of permanent TiAl6V4 implants still remains a requirement for the patient's well-being. One way to achieve a better bone-material connection is to enable bone "ingrowth" into the implant. Therefore, a new porous TiAl6V4 material was produced via metal injection moulding (MIM). Specimens with four different porosities were produced using gas-atomised spherical TiAl6V4 with different powder particle diameters, namely, "Small" (<45 μm), "Medium" (45-63 μm), "Mix" (90% 125-180 μm + 10% <45 μm), and "Large" (125-180 μm). Tensile tests, compression tests, and resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) were used to analyse mechanical properties. These tests revealed an increasing Young's modulus with decreasing porosity; that is, "Large" and "Mix" exhibit mechanical properties closer to bone than to bulk material. By applying X-ray tomography (3D volume) and optical metallographic methods (2D volume and dimensions) the pores were dissected. The pore analysis of the "Mix" and "Large" samples showed pore volumes between 29% and 34%, respectively, with pore diameters ranging up to 175 μm and even above 200 μm for "Large." Material cytotoxicity on bone cell lines (SaOs-2 and MG-63) and primary cells (human bone-derived cells, HBDC) was studied by MTT assays and highlighted an increasing viability with higher porosity.
Institute of Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany.
Axel
0000-0003-0442-4823
A
Deing
Institute of Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany.
Bérengère
0000-0002-8248-6715
B
Luthringer
Institute of Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany.
Daniel
0000-0003-3586-0476
D
Laipple
Institute of Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany.
Thomas
T
Ebel
Institute of Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany.
Regine
R
Willumeit