1. Teeth
The oral environment in the human body is complicated, and there are not only various secretions but also residues of food residues. PEEK is increasingly used in the field of stomatology due to its excellent chemical stability and resistance to the corrosion of most chemical agents.
Mainly used in dental implant accessories, such as temporary abutments, healing caps, healing abutments, etc. Compared with commonly used metals, zirconia and alumina, PEEK does not need to be sintered, more precise; low density, light weight, comfortable patient wear; soft texture, shock absorption for bite. Moreover, PEEK materials do not release substances such as metals or monomers that are incompatible with the human body, and avoid gum allergy and coloration. Moreover, the modified PEEK can emit a natural white luster, which is beautiful and durable.
2. Skull repair
In order to better restore the integrity of the skull and protect the brain tissue, researchers in neurosurgery have been looking for a repair material that is more similar to the skull. The researchers found that PEEK is the current clinical skull repair material with the closest performance to human bones.
Compared with the commonly used titanium alloy, the physical properties of PEEK are close to the human bones, the texture is firm, and there is no risk of stress depression; the heat insulation is good, and the winter and summer heat can be avoided. PEEK has abandoned the defects of conventional cranial repair materials such as plexiglass, bone cement and titanium alloy, such as strong rejection, poor shaping effect, poor heat insulation effect, poor comfort and poor postoperative X-ray permeability, avoiding the discomfort caused by temperature difference. It is formed by 3D printing technology, and it is tightly stitched after embedding. It has perfect shape and good tissue compatibility. The mechanical properties are close to human bone. It is foreseeable that this new material will be the material of choice for cranioplasty.
3. Spinal repair
In recent years, the incidence of lumbar and cervical spondylosis in China has increased year by year and tends to be younger. The number of patients with lumbar spondylosis in China has exceeded 200 million, and the number of patients suffering from cervical vertebrae is 200 million. If the patient has a degenerative spine, the doctor recommends removing the diseased disc and implanting a prosthesis called an interbody cage.
At present, the common interbody fusion cages in China are mainly titanium alloy cages and PEEK cages. Due to the high modulus of elasticity of titanium alloys, the delay of fusion due to stress shielding is more likely to occur after surgery, and has been gradually replaced by PEEK cages in recent years. The interbody fusion cage made of PEEK material is compatible with X-ray and MRI, and has low elastic modulus to avoid complications of autografts and defects of allografts.
4. Fracture treatment
In 1895, for the first time, humans applied metal sheets to internal fixation of fractures, but there was a problem of corrosion, although the occurrence of stainless steel solved the problem, and the consequent stress shielding effect also attracted widespread attention. The high elastic modulus of the metal plate obstructs the necessary external stress, and the skeleton formed under the stimulation without sufficient stress is loose and the performance is deteriorated. When the fixed bone plate is removed, the healed part can not adapt to the change of the surrounding stress environment when subjected to the load, and it will easily break again. PEEK exhibits better bending fatigue strength and is not affected by pretreatment and thermoforming, and has good tissue compatibility, allowing the fixing plate to fit more accurately into the patient's bone tissue.
PEEK suture rivets are widely used in sports medicine and are mainly used to treat rotator cuff, ligament tear or other intra-articular injuries. Traditional metal rivets are prone to complications such as loosening, extraction and cartilage damage, and the appearance of high-strength sutures increases the load on the joint of the suture rivets, thereby increasing the risk of cutting at the joint. PEEK suture rivets can avoid these problems. At the same time, PEEK has higher strength and X-ray penetrability compared with absorbable rivets. Post-operative examination does not have to worry about metal artifacts. Its elastic modulus is between cortical and cancellous bones, which can be reduced. Stress shielding promotes bone healing.
