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The Research Center for Advanced Materials (Cimav) in Mexico is studying nanostructures to understand compatibility between metal and human bone tissues. The goal is to apply the research to development of biomedical implants needed in Mexico, as existing implants in the domestic market are usually manufactured abroad.
The research is focused on nanostructured materials with biocompatible and antibacterial properties for the manufacture of hip and knee implants and, in the future, dental components. Ana Maria Arizmendi Morquecho, a Cimav scholar, says that the challenge has been appropriately facilitating compatibility of a metal structure with the chemical composition of bone tissue and human bone’s nanostructures.
“We use a ceramic material that is compatible with the bone, in this case hydroxyapatite, which is used as a matrix and nanoparticles from other materials are used to reinforce it and provide improvements to the bicompatibility, joint wear and mechanical properties,” says Arizmendi Morquecho in a press release.
The next stage of the project is to validate in vitro and in vivo synthesized material in the laboratory.
To achieve the finished technology, Cimav has collaborated with higher education institutions and technology research centers, and seeks domestic companies interested in manufacturing the final component.
Source: Investigación y Desarrollo
Photo credit: The Research Center for Advanced Materials
