Abstract
Poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) displays promising potential in hard tissue repair and orthopedic surgery due to its adaptable mechanical performance, good chemical resistance, and bioinertness. However, the low biointerfacial affinity of pure PEEK implants and the decrease of mechanical strength after processing greatly limit their clinical applications. In this work, the influences on mechanical performance and biointerfacial affinity of the PEEK/nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) composites are systematically investigated. Results show that the mechanical performance of PEEK/nHA composites was improved by adjusting the nHA content. The maximum values of the tensile, compressive, bending, and impact strength of the composites were increased by approximately 16.2, 25, 54, and 21%, respectively, when compared with that of pure PEEK. Studies in vitro show that PEEK/nHA composites display good cytocompatibility and promote the biomimic formation of HA, adhesion, and proliferation of L929 cells on the surface. Studies in vivo demonstrate that, compared to the pure PEEK, PEEK/nHA composites exhibit higher biointerfacial affinity, including the adhesion and encapsulation of muscle tissues on the surface of the implants and the suppression of inflammatory reaction around the implants. Our findings could pave the way for extensive applications of PEEK/nHA composites in hard tissue repair, particularly orthopedic surgery.