Orthopedics a Heavy Focus at ASM Conference, Expo

Ed Kensik – Associate Editor

Orthopedics was one of the instrumental areas profiled at this year’s Materials and Processes for Medical Devices Conference and Exposition, which was held by the American Society of Materials in November in Boston, MA.

This annual event offered attendees the opportunity to learn more about the mechanical and physical properties of medical materials. In addition, the conference explored new areas in surface engineering, nanostructures and what medical device designers need to know about the effects of non-invasive visualization techniques.

Many presenters at the conference demonstrated that certain materials or processes are now longer lasting and more durable than current items on the market, holding promise for future applications in the orthopedic field.

The sessions featured plenty of useful information for orthopedic manufacturers and suppliers, with topics such as total hip resurfacing, surface engineering and fretting fatigue study results with surface modified biomedical titanium alloys.

One session focused on torsional properties of implants made from stainless steel or titanium. Michael Roach, senior materials engineer of the Biomedical Materials Science at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, compared in his study the torsional characteristics of three stainless steel and four titanium alloys used for implants. (Steel and titanium both have a long history of successful use for orthopedic screw applications.)

A low-nickel, high-strength stainless steel alloy demonstrated the highest strength value as well as the largest elastic range and rotation, suggesting it is a viable candidate for torsional implant components such as orthopedic screws.

In a research report presented at the conference, biomimetic polymer composites for orthopedic implants were shown to be biocompatible in hip procedures, offering manufacturers the potential for extensive use in future applications.

The presenter explained that total hip arthroplasty is subject to long-term bone remodeling because the inert synthetic materials used in this surgery cannot mimic the biological and biomechanical functions of bones.

However, preliminary results from this study indicate that biomimetic polymer composites resist long-term fatigue. “Our implant will last in the long term,” said study presenter Melissa Campbell of the Industrial Materials Institute in Boucherville, Quebec, Canada.    

Other lectures covered everything from the latest bone cement technologies to study results related to titanium alloys. ASM International has members who are materials engineers and scientists, among other specialists.

Therefore, the group’s annual meeting also featured a quality showcase on the latest material processes, technology and services used to create orthopedic and other medical devices.