Evaluation of PEEK-TiO₂- SiO₂ nanocomposite as biomedical implants with regard to in-vitro biocompatibility and material characterization

Abstract

Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) exhibits superior mechanical and biological safety characteristics, and its biological inertness significantly restricts its applicability in biomedical applications. Recent researches included active ceramic particles to enhance biological activity and broaden the application range of bioactive composites in medical implants. During the current investigation, acrylic acid-functionalized ceramic TiO₂ and SiO₂ nanoparticles (NP) were used to reinforce the PEEK matrix. The PEEK/TiO₂/SiO₂ (PTS) nanocomposite was fabricated using plastic injection moulding process. Different functional groups and crystal plane orientations of the composite were found through FTIR and XRD. The morphological and elemental analysis were carried out using FESEM and the EDAX mapping technique. The thermal stability of the composite was investigated through TGA and DSC analysis. The mean diameter of the inhibition zone of PTS polymer composite is 18.125 mm and 16.375 mm against E. coli and B. subtilis, respectively, which is higher than that of the mean diameter of the inhibition zone of PEEK. In-vitro direct and indirect cytotoxicity studies were carried using the MG-63 cell line and found the cell viability as 94.30% and cytotoxicity as 5.70% on PTS nanocomposite. Cell adhesion study was carried out using MG-63 cell line on the composite surface. That demonstrated the good cell adherence and cell proliferation those were observed through SEM morphologies. Thus, the newly developed composite serves as a potential candidate in biomedical applications.

Keywords:

• In-vitro
• cytotoxicity
• cell adhesion
• MG-63 cell line
• antibacterial activity
• biomaterial

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.