PEEK polymer-based device company Invibio® Biomaterial Solutions is making sure we know all about its achievements, especially in orthopaedic traumatology, and especially as it is introducing its new PEEK-OPTIMA Ultra Reinforced material. The company even hosted a panel discussion of its Invibio Trauma Device Technology at October’s annual meeting of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) in Tampa.
Background
Until 1999 metal plates were about the extent of it when traumatic bone injury required that level of support. However, since the introduction of the original PEEK biomaterial, Invibio®, has grown significantly, evolving from a materials supplier to an industry-leading provider of biomaterial solutions. Today, Invibio’s PEEK-OPTIMA® polymers are used in more than four million implanted devices worldwide.
Anyone involved with trauma will have some knowledge of PEEK, a material that offers a number of advantages over traditional metallic options, not least when it comes to imaging. The imaging characteristics of PEEK, including the newest material, PEEK-OPTIMA Ultra Reinforced means surgeons have the ability to see the fracture site from all angles under x-ray. During the procedure, this can ease reduction and ensure proper alignment for healing to occur. After the procedure, it offers greater visibility of the fracture healing site so that surgeons can make more informed decisions about when to return patients to load-bearing activities.
Then there’s the material’s mechanical characteristics, which see “PEEK-OPTIMA Ultra Reinforced polymer” deliver similar mechanical strength to metallic plates, with 50x greater fatigue resistance.
PEEK-OPTIMA Ultra-Reinforced polymer, a composite of PEEK-OPTIMA Natural polymer reinforced with continuous carbon fibers, provides the strength and fatigue resistance demanded by high-load trauma implant applications. Using PEEK-OPTIMA Ultra-Reinforced polymer, designers can alter stiffness and develop trauma implants that are less rigid than metal implants, increasing dynamic loading and promoting secondary healing at the fracture site. This Invibio Trauma Device Technology gives surgeons a new option for treating patients at high risk of developing complications related to internal trauma fixation, such as non-unions, delayed unions and implant failures.
Physician comments
“Patients who are at risk for slow or delayed healing can benefit from implants composed of PEEK-OPTIMA Ultra-Reinforced because the fatigue life is so much greater than metal. They’re more likely to be able to heal their fracture before their implant fails due to fatigue. There’s a whole host of patients that are slow to heal, including smokers and patients with diabetes, poor bone quality or open fractures, who have an enhanced potential to heal,” states David J. Hak, MD, MBA, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Denver Health, University of Colorado. He adds, “I’ve been using the material for about two years in the proximal humerus and I’ve been very pleased with the outcome of those patients.”
Company comments
Invibio Trauma Device Technology is a turnkey platform that allows medical device manufacturers to quickly design, validate and manufacture semi-rigid anatomic plates composed of PEEK-OPTIMA Ultra Reinforced polymer. “At Invibio, we’ve spent more than 5 years developing the expertise, design and manufacturing processes and building manufacturing facilities to quickly and cost effectively bring composite device components to market,” John Devine, Emerging Business Director at Invibio explained. “Now, we are able to offer our customers a technology platform from which they can deliver differentiated PEEK-composite trauma implants up to 3 times faster than if they developed programs on their own. Customers can save as much as $1.8 million in start-up and development costs and redeploy their development staff to other business initiatives.”
Source: Invibio Biomaterial Solutions, Inc.
published: October 30, 2014 in: Congresses and Meetings, Trauma