It behaves much like cortical bone in how it flexes and bears weight, and this is a major advantage. A favorable flexural modulus – Compared to titanium, stainless steel and other metal biomaterials, PEEK is much more flexible. Further, with 20 years of success with patients confirming the polymer’s safety, there are no biocompatibility concerns with PEEK.Ģ. PEEK has passed all of these tests, with no signs of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity or immunogenesis. The material is also checked for intracutaneous reactivity and any reaction to muscle implantation. PEEK’s biocompatibility has been demonstrated through extensive testing, including the USP Class VI testing that’s considered a standard.Ĭlass VI testing involves several stages, starting with an acute systemic toxicity test that checks for any signs of toxicity when the material is administered via injection, inhalation or ingestion. Biocompatibility – PEEK is a proven biomaterial, which means it is considered safe for use with in vivo applications. The high-performance polymer is also a valuable biomaterial for the following reasons:ġ. Though melt processability is an important characteristic for medical devices, it’s not the only one PEEK exhibits. Why Is PEEK a good fit for medical applications? Once the polymer cools, it hardens back to its original state, while retaining its new shape or design. This means that at high enough temperatures, PEEK can be molded or otherwise converted. Being a member of the polyaryletherketone class, PEEK is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic. Melt processability is one of PEEK’s standout traits, as it can be converted using one of several methods. PEEK’s chemical features are imparted into the polymer using specialized processes, resulting in the resilience, durability and strength that PEEK is known for. PAEK polymers are notable for their phenylene rings and oxygen bridges, which together are responsible for PEEK’s and PAEK’s thermal resistance and high melting point. These names may not be intuitive to a non-engineer, but they serve a purpose, as they refer to the polymer’s chemical structure. PEEK is short for polyether ether ketone, which means it’s a member of the polyaryletherketone, or PAEK, family.
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