Mechanical behaviour of additive manufactured PEEK/HA porous structure for orthopaedic implants: Materials, structures and manufacturing processes

Abstract

Polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) composites represent one of the most promising approaches to overcoming the weak osseointegration associated with the bioinertness of PEEK, making them highly suitable for clinical translation. Implants with porous structures fabricated by additive manufacturing offer the potential for long-term stability by promoting bone ingrowth. However, despite the importance of porous design, there is still no consensus on the optimal approach for PEEK-based composites. Given the significance of permeability and mechanical properties as functional indicators closely linked to osseointegration, the effects of material composition, structural design, and manufacturing processes on the permeability and mechanical properties of PEEK/hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds were systematically investigated in this study. In terms of permeability, the axial permeability of scaffolds with different pore sizes and representative volume elements varied within the range of 0.3–24.8 × 10⁻⁹ m². Among scaffolds with similar relative density, the Gyroid structure exhibited the lowest permeability, while the orthogonal structure demonstrated the highest. For cylindrical scaffolds, circumferential permeability decreased with increasing penetration depth, suggesting a potential reduction in bone ingrowth speed with depth. As for mechanical properties, the experimentally determined effective elastic modulus and effective yield strength of the scaffolds ranged from 675.1 MPa to 65.2 MPa and 43.5 MPa to 4.1 MPa, respectively. The permeability and mechanical properties of PEEK/HA scaffolds with relative density ranging from 35% to 50% were aligned with the those of human cancellous bone. Heat treatment at 240 °C for 120 min increased the crystallinity of PEEK to 37.2%, resulting in a substantial improvement in both the strength and stiffness of the scaffolds. However, excessive crystallinity led to brittle fracture, which in turn reduced the strength of the scaffolds. This study employed a systematic research approach to investigate how material composition, structural design, and manufacturing processes influence the mechanical properties and permeability of PEEK composite bone scaffolds, which are crucial for bone ingrowth. The results offered insights that support the design, manufacturing, and performance evaluation of PEEK-based porous implants.