Evaluating radiographic characteristics of polymeric implant with osseointegrative coatings by a tissue-equivalent phantom

New prosthetic implants can nowadays be realized with high performance polymers such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and its carbon-fiber reinforced composite (CFR-PEEK). These materials can be plasma-spray coated with titanium (Ti) or hydroxyapatite (HA) to improve osseointegration (1). Checking the location of the implanted device intraoperatively and assessing loosening or migration in the early and late postoperative periods are critical issues in orthopaedics and radiology. The most frequently used technique to perform the follow up assessment is plain radiography (2). However, PEEK polymers are radiolucent to X-ray and the addition of a radiopaque osseointegrative coating may enhance the visualization of the implanted device in clinical X-ray imaging. This work aimed at evaluating the radiological characteristics of polymeric samples coated with an osseointegrative layer for application in hip arthroprosthesis.