In the medical field, how to prepare bone scaffolds with high biocompatibility has always been one of the hot research topics. Every year in my country, there are no less than 3 million cases of medical human bone implantation, and the price of each case is tens of thousands to more than 100,000. Has great potential. However, opportunities and challenges coexist, and there are also problems behind this medical research that cannot be ignored. Take joint replacement surgery, one of the commonly used methods for treating joint dysfunction in clinical practice, as an example. This medical method can restore joint shape and function. With the in-depth study of joint anatomy and joint biomechanics, it is found that the two major problems currently faced are:
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Technical problems: The planning of joint replacement surgery is mostly based on traditional imaging data, and it is difficult to comprehensively and accurately reflect the information of the diseased joint, especially the grasp of the osteotomy angle, which mostly depends on the operator's proficiency and personal experience. There is also a problem that the model of the prosthesis does not match the actual anatomical structure of the patient, which affects the subsequent recovery of joint function of the patient.
Material problem: the selection of medical human bone implant materials, the materials used earlier are stainless steel, nickel-chromium alloy, nickel-titanium alloy, and GR5 titanium alloy has been fashionable in the last 2 or 3 years. These materials contain nickel, chromium, aluminum, vanadium, and other harmful elements, and because its elastic modulus exceeds the human bone too much and the material has a low affinity with the human body, the phenomenon of "bone non-stick" is prone to occur. Experts in the medical field and the market urgently need new materials that are non-toxic, harmless, and have a good human affinity to improve the current situation.
Solution: technical solution - 3D printing technology
3D printing is a technology that builds objects by layer-by-layer printing based on digital model files, using powdered metal or plastic stool-bondable materials.
1. 3D printing technology has the characteristics of precision and personalization, and its application in the medical field, especially the manufacture of artificial joint prostheses, is constantly expanding by using computer-aided design.
2. 3D printing technology can be used to repair hard tissue defects by making implants with high adaptability and good tissue compatibility.
3. With the continuous development of technology, 3D printing technology will gradually improve, and its application in the treatment of clinical orthopedic diseases can not only improve the treatment effect but also have a certain promotion significance for improving the prognosis of patients.
Material Solutions - Tantalum Metal Materials:
Tantalum, a metal material, attracts more and more medical workers and materials researchers with its unique advantages.
The properties of tantalum
Good corrosion resistance; at room temperature, tantalum will not react with hydrochloric acid, concentrated nitric acid, or even aqua regia, nor will ordinary inorganic salts corrode it.
Good biocompatibility: Unlike traditional medical metal materials, biological tissue will grow on tantalum after implantation for a period of time, just like on real bone. Therefore, tantalum is also called "metalphile"
Appropriate elastic modulus: The elastic modulus of tantalum with a special pore structure is between the human cancellous bone and cortical bone, especially suitable for bone replacement, joint replacement, and human tissue filling.
In November 2017, my country completed the world's first total knee revision surgery with personalized 3D printed tantalum metal pad implantation. According to reports, the key to completing the operation lies in the computer-aided design of the pad and the precision of metal 3D printing. The 3D printed tantalum metal spacer tailored for patients has a good fit and surface roughness, which perfectly fills the huge bone defect and ensures the initial stability of the tantalum metal spacer implantation after the bone defect. The surface is rough and porous. The trabecular bone design can make the autologous bone grow into the metal pores quickly, so as to obtain the long-term stability of the prosthesis and the autologous bone, greatly simplifying the operation process and reducing surgical complications. Any new technology faces opportunities and challenges in its development process, and 3D printing tantalum metal is no exception. Factors such as cost, efficiency, precision, etc. all have shortcomings. The direction of this technology is correct, and the prospects are bright. In the future, many researchers need to continue to work hard to create more miracles for the medical industry and bring more good news to the majority of patients with bone diseases.
If you need to purchase polished tantalum plates and other tantalum products, please give priority to Baoji Yusheng Metal Technology Co., Ltd. We can always do our best from raw material selection to finished product delivery.
