3D-printed porous titanium suture anchor: a rabbit lateral femoral condyle model.
Journal
BMC musculoskeletal disorders
Series/Report No.
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Journal Volume
25
Journal Issue
1
ISSN
1471-2474
Date Issued
2024-07-18
Author(s)
Wu, Lien-Chen
Hsieh, Yueh-Ying
Hsu, Ting-Shuo
Liu, Po-Yi
Kuo, Yi-Jie
Chen, Chia-Hsien
Van Huynh, Tin
Chiang, Chang-Jung
DOI
10.1186/s12891-024-07666-w
Abstract
Background: The inclusion of a connecting path in a porous implant can promote nutrient diffusion to cells and enhance bone ingrowth. Consequently, this study aimed to evaluate the biomechanical, radiographic, and histopathological performance of a novel 3D-printed porous suture anchor in a rabbit femur model.
Methods: Three test groups were formed based on the type of suture anchor (SA): Commercial SA (CSA, Group A, n = 20), custom solid SA (CSSA, Group B, n = 20), and custom porous SA (CPSA, Group C, n = 20). The SAs were implanted in the lateral femoral condyle of the right leg in each rabbit. The rabbits (New Zealand white rabbits, male, mean body weight of 2.8 ± 0.5 kg, age 8 months) underwent identical treatment and were randomized into experimental and control groups via computer-generated randomization. Five rabbits (10 femoral condyles) were euthanized at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-implantation for micro-CT, histological analysis, and biomechanical testing.
Results: At 12 weeks, the CPSA showed a higher BV/TV (median 0.7301, IQR 0.7276-0.7315) than the CSSA and CSA. The histological analysis showed mineralized osteocytes near the SA. At 4 weeks, new bone was observed around the CPSA and had penetrated its porous structure. By 12 weeks, there was no significant difference in ultimate failure load between the CSA and CPSA.
Conclusions: We demonstrated that the innovative 3D-printed porous suture anchor exhibited comparable pullout strength to conventional threaded suture anchors at the 12-week postoperative time-point period. Furthermore, our porous anchor design enhanced new bone formation and facilitated bone growth into the implant structure, resulting in improved biomechanical stability.
Subjects
3D-printed porous anchor
Bone formation
Bone ingrowth
Suture anchor
Publisher
BioMed Central Ltd
Type
journal article