IMPROVING IMPLANT PERFORMANCE IN BONE THROUGH BIO-NANOTECHNOLOGICAL STRATEGIES

The purpose of this project is to characterize mechanisms for bone regeneration and bone healing and to use this knowledge to develop new strategies for improving the performance of loaded metal implants used to restore function in compromised skeletal st ructures. From the clinical perspective skeletal implants, including dental and orthopaedic devices should be able to withstand loading as soon as possible after placing. A shortened postoperative period is important to avoid serious complications and to restore skeletal function before irreversible physiological, pathological and morphological changes are manifest. For the community a shortened ?time to load? also is synonymous with reduced recovery costs and improved health care services. Moreover, if m etal implant surfaces can be modified to allow for an optimal and stable integration into bony tissues, the need for revisions of failing implants will be considerably reduced with accordingly positive outcomes for patients and community alike. Therefore, to achieve an optimal biological reaction in the bone following placing of an implant, and to develop new biomimetic strategies for improved implant performance in bone three major factors must be optimised and carefully controlled. These are: 1.The sur face structure and surface chemistry of the implanted device (most often titanium based) 2.The nature and quality of the tissue-implant interface and the peri-implant environment 3.The physiology and biology of the healing process in the compromised bone Each of these topics will be studied in this multidisciplinary project where researchers from the fields of materials science, biofilm, extracellular matrix biology and bone biology are collaborating. By taking full advantage of the multidisciplinary res earch environment, the highly experienced researchers behind this application aims at establishing a problem oriented, innovative project team at the forefront of biomaterials research.