Event Title

Connective Tissue Infiltration into Three-Dimensional Printed Stainless Steel Alloy

Presenter Information

Mehedi Hasan, Minnesota State University, MankatoFollow
Clenten Ndonwie, Minnesota State University, MankatoFollow
Bethany Haus, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Location

CSU Ballroom

Start Date

11-4-2017 10:00 AM

End Date

11-4-2017 11:30 AM

Student's Major

Biological Sciences, Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering Technology

Student's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Mentor's Name

Michael Bentley

Mentor's Department

Biological Sciences

Mentor's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Second Mentor's Name

Kuldeep Agarwal

Second Mentor's Department

Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering Technology

Second Mentor's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Description

The biomaterial used in medical implantable devices must sufficiently integrate within the biological system and be compatible with surrounding tissue. Hydroxyapatite (HA), a bioactive material that is a major and essential component of normal bone and teeth, is often used for coating metal implants to initiate implantation. However, its bioactivity leads to high biodegradation when implanted alone, which can result in clinical implant failure. In the present study, our focus is on the biocompatibility of a mixture alloy of stainless steel and hydroxyapatite, fabricated by using a three-dimensional printer. To test the biocompatibility of the fabricated metal implant in vivo, one millimeter-sized lattice structure metal pieces of high and low HA ratio mixture alloys were inserted on rat skulls through a small incision on the back made using a sterilized implantation surgery. After five months, the metal pieces were removed and observed under scanning electron microscopy to determine the degree of infiltrated bone and connective tissue. The surrounding connective tissues were also examined for inflammation and other tissue damages. The result showed that, the metal alloys that were fixed on the bone were encapsulated by dense connective tissue continuous with the periosteum without having any signs of inflammation or rejection. Furthermore, connective tissue infiltrated into spaces within alloy, between and around the spheres of stainless steel, to form a dense matrix of cellular and fibrous material throughout the implant. Our findings will help improve medical device alloys for hip, femur, dental, and other implants.