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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
An Improved Mechanical Testing Method to Assess Bone-implant Anchorage
Published on: February 10, 2014
Frictional and bone ingrowth properties of engineered surface topographies produced by electron beam technology
J Elizabeth Biemond1, René Aquarius, Nico Verdonschot
1Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. L.Biemond@orthop.umcn.nl
Background:
Electron beam melting (E-beam) is a new technology to produce 3-dimensional surface topographies for cementless orthopedic implants.
Methods:
The friction coefficients of two newly developed E-beam produced surface topographies were in vitro compared with sandblasted E-beam and titanium plasma sprayed controls. Bone ingrowth (direct bone-implant contact) was determined by implanting the samples in the femoral condyles of 6 goats for a period of 6 weeks.
Results:
Friction coefficients of the new structures were comparable to the titanium plasma sprayed control. The direct bone-implant contact was 23.9 and 24.5% for the new surface structures. Bone-implant contact of the sandblasted and titanium plasma sprayed control was 18.2 and 25.5%, respectively.
Conclusions:
The frictional and bone ingrowth properties of the E-beam produced surface structures are similar to the plasma-sprayed control. However, since the maximal bone ingrowth had not been reached for the E-beam structures during the relatively short-term period, longer-term follow-up studies are needed to assess whether the E-beam structures lead to a better long-term performance than surfaces currently in use, such as titanium plasma spray coating.
