New Biomaterials in Instrumentation Systems

Metastatic tumors often cause pathologic or impending fractures. These lesions require a stable fixation that allows an early postoperative weight bearing and a durable follow-up. During years, orthopedic devices have been built up in several different materials to enhance the properties and combine elevate strength with an elastic modulus as closer as possible to the elastic modulus ofbone. Carbon fiber-polyaryl-ether-ether-ketone (CF-PEEK) composite biomaterials have excellent properties in terms of mechanical strength, flexibility, and compliance, with low elastic modulus. Being these materials composite, they could be designed in order to optimize mechanical properties. Their properties of radiolucency and low interference with magnetic resonance imaging allow good follow-up of fracture healing or the evolution of the lytic lesions; low interaction levels with radiation therapies allow better planning and more effective therapies. Plates, nails, and spinal stabilization systems are available on the market to be used in all conditions where an elastic radiotransparent device is required. Even not experienced surgeons could use CF-PEEK implants with few tips. In this chapter, some cases are shown to demonstrate technical feasibility and imaging results.