The main reason why medical implants sag today is primarily a tribological reason, that is, the vulnerability of the coating materials to contact and friction with biological fluids.
With the main objective of prolonging the life cycle of prostheses for biomedical use, coatings that are more resistant to both corrosion and wear have been designed.
Types of coatings for implants
At BIOVAC we carry out different types of prosthesis coating that guarantee non-corrosion. These coatings are the result of a business know-how of more than 30 years with exclusive methodologies verified in our laboratories.
The coatings we make are organized either by the applied technique, or by the coating materials, and all favor osteintegration.
The technique we apply is Porous Coating or Plasma Spray. The Porous Coating technique focuses on guaranteeing the growth of the bone through the implant coating, favoring osseointegration, and that of Plasma, it is the bone that adapts to the roughness of the holes.
Biovac’s commitment is to coat prostheses using microspheres, irregular particles or plasma, since our professional trajectory has shown us that it is the ideal coating for rapid osseointegration of the patient and, above all, of high quality standards.
Regarding the materials that make up the coating, they can be: cobalt / chromium, titanium, hydroxyapatite or a double layer of hydroxyapatite on any of the other two.
Biomedical titanium alloys show great resistance to corrosion, however, in contact with other materials and in sliding and friction functions, titanium can suffer some wear, which can sometimes cause premature failure of the prosthesis.
There is also the tantalum nitride coating, which also protects against corrosion and wear through the use of physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology. This coating significantly reduces friction and mechanical wear in higher percentages compared to titanium.
Hydroxyapatite is one of the most widely used materials as it improves the growth of bone tissue through the pores of the coating, and also offers good mechanical stability during implant fixation.
Advantages of using these coatings
The focus of the prosthesis coating is always the quality of life of the implanted people, either in the hip, knee or other extremities. Osseointegration is the way to achieve it and its advantages in the medium and long term are:
- The prosthesis can be used for more years, prolonging its useful life.
- Joint range of motion is easily accessible as long as post-surgical rehabilitation is rigorously followed.
- It will allow us to carry out activities and walk long distances.
- Comfort and stability when sitting and standing.
- Personal feeling that the prosthesis is part of our body.
- Quick placement and removal of it, easy and fast.
- It does not lead to skin problems for the implanted person.
If you are a prosthesis manufacturer and need advice on the coating that is most suitable for your product and for people’s quality of life, do not hesitate to contact Biovac, we will be delighted to assist you.
