Functional Nanostructured Implant for Bone Fixation

The project objective is to obtain orthopaedic implants from a new biomaterial (Gum alloy) nanostructured by Severe Plastic Deformation having antibacterial nanocoatings. The project provides advanced solution with powerful societal impact by developing temporary implants, new compression staples with multi-directional gripping, able to ensure better fixation of bone fragments especially at the multiple fractures. For achieving project goals, scientific activities will be developed concerning the following: design of the alloy composition; alloy synthesis; study of the alloy deformability; thermo-mechanical alloy processing by High Speed High Pressure Torsion; complex characterization of the as-cast/processed alloy; antibacterial nanostructured coatings deposition; in-vitro advanced characterization by electrochemical studies to asses the corrosion behaviour of the alloy and of the coatings; in-vitro characterization by biological cellular response analysis; finally, implants design and execution. In addition, the project aims to demonstrate the applicability of the research results and validation both manufacturing and characterizing technologies on a number of test implants.