ATLANTA, July 7 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've discovered coating a titanium implant with a biologically inspired polymer can enhance tissue healing and improve bone growth.
Georgia Institute of Technology researchers said the coating strengthens attachment and integration of the implant to the bone.
"We designed a coating that specifically communicates with cells and we're telling the cells to grow bone around the implant," said Professor Andres García.
He said total knee and hip replacements typically last about 15 years, meaning younger patients might face a second surgery to replace the first artificial joint.
The researchers said current clinical practice designed to create a better connection with bone and improve titanium joint lifetime includes roughening the surface of the titanium implant or coating it with a flaky, hard-to-apply ceramic that bonds directly to bone.
Garcia, Professor David Collard, graduate students Tim Petrie and Jenny Raynor and researcher Kellie Burns coated the titanium with a thin, dense polymer.
"Our coating consists of a high density of polymer strands, akin to the bristles on a toothbrush, that we can then modify to present our bio-inspired, bioactive protein," said García.
Details of the new coating appear in the July issue of the journal Biomaterials.
