Porous polyether ether ketone: A candidate for hard tissue implant materials.

A porous polyether ether ketone (p-PEEK) was fabricated by firstly preparing titanium/PEEK composite (Ti/PEEK) (die casting) and then removing titanium wire (acid etching). The pores in p-PEEK can provide channels for bone cells ingrowth and body fluid transmission. The pore size and porosity of p-PEEK can be tailored by adjusting the diameter and volume fraction of titanium wire that was used in the preparation process. The average cell wall thicknesses of p-PEEK with porosities of 30 ± 1.5%, 40 ± 2.0% and 50 ± 2.5% were 326.4 μm, 297.6 μm and 255.4 μm, respectively. The compressive yield strengths and the elastic moduli of p-PEEK with porosities ranged of 30%–50% were 28–16 MPa and 5.5–3.0 GPa, respectively. The elastic modulus of p-PEEK reached the floor level of cortical bone (3.0–30.0 GPa). The relationship of the relative elastic moduli to the relative densities of p-PEEK conformed to the Gibson-Ashby model. This porous PEEK is expected to be a candidate for hard tissue implant materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]