SiNTHOS - Biomimetic composite materials for novel osteosynthesis materials

Background

Osteosynthetic materials (medullary nails, bone screws and plates of various design) to date are mainly made of metallic materials. They find application especially for stabilisation of bone fractures, but also in many other surgical interventions on bones such as e.g. correction of misalignments, treatment of bone tumors, fusion of vertebral bodies, and dental, oral and maxillofacial surgery. Metallic materials will certainly continue to dominate as materials of choice for the mechanically highly loaded areas of the skeleton in the future. On the other hand, many other fields of application are emerging that do not require the high mechanical stability of metallic materials or in which this property would even be disadvantageous. This is especially the case when their high stiffness would have a negative effect on the mechanical stimulation of bone healing. Besides the lack of biocompatibility of the utilised metals (in particular, surgical steel), this disadvantageous effect described as stress shielding is one of the causes that require removal of implants after bone consolidation.

In the research project SiNTHOS, we follow the biological examples represented in the composition and structure of highly stiff materials of bone or support structures of marine sponges to investigate biomimetic materials and methods of preparation that will lead to the production of similar highly stiff composites. The source materials used are substances that have widespread appearance in biological systems and are regarded as biocompatible and bioresorbable. Promising material parameters for these innovative preparations could be achieved in a preceding project funded by the State Ministry for Economic Affairs and Labor (SMWA). The first steps of the present project concentrate on the development of materials for bone implants that can be actively integrated into bone metabolism. Further steps will be concerned with additional medical and technical applications of these materials.

Publication

In Februar 2009 the results have been published to some extend:
Bioactive silica–collagen composite xerogels modified by calcium phosphate phases with adjustable mechanical properties for bone replacement.
Heinemann S, Heinemann C, Bernhard R, Reinstorf A, Nies B, Meyer M, Worch H, Hanke T
Acta Biomater 5 (2009) 1979–1990

This project is part of the incentive "Molecular Designed Biological Coating" and was promoted by the
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Funding number: 03WKBH4A "BIOMATUM"