Certain types of surgical implants (hips, knees, dental implants, etc.) run the risk of being rejected by the patient’s body. In these cases, infection is also a serious risk. If the body does not accept the new joint the possibility of infection rises as further surgery is needed.
To begin with, the new smart coating is applied directly to the surgical implant as an amorphous outer layer. This outer layer then comes into direct contact with other bones in the patient’s body and is designed specifically to generate bone growth, lowering the probability of rejection. It even helps the patient manage the new implant since it is connected directly to real bone (it works like super glue between the bone and surgical implant).
In addition to the bone-building layer, the researchers added in nanoparticles of silver that acti as anti-bacterial agents to guard against infection. Why are the researchers calling it a “smart” coating? Dr. Afsaneh Rabiei, the lead researcher on the project, explains it best:
“We call it a smart coating because we can tailor the rate at which the amorphous layer dissolves to match the bone growth rate of each patient.”
In our humble opinion, this is an important step in surgical implants. Since bone growth and recovery time varies significantly from person to person, being able to control the rate of bone growth stimulation is important. Young people’s bones, for example, usually grow much quicker than the elderly’s bones.
What do you think? Are you as amazed as we are that coatings can have so many uses? If you’ve had any experience with coatings used in the medical world or on implants? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.
Does your company uses 500 gallons of paint/coating per year? If so, you qualify for a free sample of EonCoat.
Photo Source: NC State Press Release
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