Porous polyetheretherketone (P-PEEK) is widely used as the material for making implant screws, and yet its mechanical properties and osseointegration for ultilization are still unsatisfied. In this work, the effects of the porosity distribution on the mechanical properties and osseointegration were investigated. Functionally graded P-PEEK (FGP-PEEK) and uniform P-PEEK (UP-PEEK) were developed by infiltration casting technology. The mechanical properties of the P-PEEK were studied by compressive and bending tests, and the osseointegration was evaluated by in vitro and rabbit femur experiments. The prepared FGP-PEEK was composed of the central dense part and its surrounding porous one where the pores were isodiametric and interconnected. Both the compressive strength and bending strength of the FGP-PEEK with graded porosity were higher than those of the UP-PEEK with uniform porosity. The mechanical properties of the FGP-PEEK were comparable to that of the human cancellous bone. The in vitro and in vivo experiments indicated the FGP-PEEK had no cytotoxicity, and its osseointegration was better than the UP-PEEK. The results demonstrated that the graded porosity had a superiority in the mechanical properties and osseointegration of the P-PEEK scaffolds compared to the uniform porosity. The influencing mechanisms of the porosity distribution on the mechanical properties and osseointegration were also clarified. Additionally, the osseointegration of the FGP-PEEK gradually increased as the surface porosity increased from 30 % to 50 %. The 50 %-surface porosity FGP-PEEK was a promising material on the application of the implant screws.
Keywords: Compressive property; Microstructure; Osseointegration; Porosity; Porous material.
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