A team from Washington State University (WSU) has developed a 3D-printed surgical implant capable of destroying 87% of the bacteria responsible for causing staph infections.

Source: Washington State University

Currently, titanium materials are used in the making of hip and knee replacements and other surgical implants, but they are limited in their ability to overcome infection. This can often lead to additional surgeries where the implant is removed and the implant site is cleaned and dosed with antibiotics, and the implant subsequently replaced.

To solve this issue, the WSU team used 3D printing to add a 10% tantalum, which is a corrosion-resistant metal, and 3% copper mixture to the titanium alloy often used in implants. The team found that when bacteria encounter the copper surface of the new implant material, the cell walls of the bacteria will rupture while the tantalum component of the new implant material reportedly encourages healthy cell growth with the bone and tissue surrounding the implant.

“The biggest advantage for this type of multifunctional device is that one can use it for infection control as well as for good bone tissue integration,” the WSU team explained. “Because infection is such a big issue in today’s surgical world, if any multifunctional device can do both things, [then] there’s nothing like it.”

Going forward, the WSU researchers are working to improve the bacterial death rate to more than the current 99%, without compromising tissue integration.

An article detailing the new material, “Additively manufactured Ti–Ta–Cu alloys for the next-generation load-bearing implants,” appears in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing.