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Advances in Orthopaedic Bearings and Additive Manufacturing of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

2:30 PM-4:00 PM

BIOMED Seminar

Title:
Advances in Orthopaedic Bearings and Additive Manufacturing of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)
    
Speaker:
Steven Kurtz, PhD
Research Professor
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
Drexel University

Details:
Over the past two decades, our research group has continuously studied the in vivo wear and bearing materials in hip and knee implant retrievals in collaboration with hospital systems. We have researched polymer, ceramic, and metal implants after long-term implantation in the body. More recently, the ability to manufacture orthopaedic implants and bone defect scaffolds at the point-of-care has become a desire for clinicians wanting to provide efficient patient-specific treatment, especially in an ambulatory surgical environment. As an alternative to costly 3D printed metal, some hospitals have adopted more economical, extrusion-based 3D printing for creating non-implantable instruments with low-temperature plastics.

Recent innovations have allowed for the printing of high-temperature engineering polymers such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Due to its low modulus of elasticity, high yield strength, and radiolucency, PEEK is an attractive biomaterial for implantable devices, and has decades of clinical history in spinal fusion applications. Though concerns exist regarding PEEK for orthopaedic implants due to its bioinertness, the creation of porous networks has shown promising results for bone ingrowth. This seminar will provide an overview of current research topics at the Implant Research Core in BIOMED and provide a preview of the upcoming Spring graduate course: BMES 555 Biomedical Additive Manufacturing.

Biosketch:
Steven Kurtz, PhD, is the Director of the Implant Research Core and part-time Research Professor at Drexel University's School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems. Dr. Kurtz has expertise in the additive manufacturing (3D printing) of medical devices, with an emphasis on orthopaedic, spine, and trauma implants. His professional career has involved the evaluation of medical device technologies, from a combined analytical, experimental, and clinical perspective. With 27 years of professional experience, Dr. Kurtz is also the founder and CEO of Gyroid LLC, a scientific and technical consulting startup.

Contact Information

Carolyn Riley
cr63@drexel.edu

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Location

Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building (PISB), Room 120, located on the northeast corner of 33rd and Chestnut Streets.

Audience

  • Everyone