Taylor-Made Sintered Titanium Fiber Structures For Personalized Implant Applications

A new approach to a biomimetic orthopaedic material designed for load bearing bone is presented. It is based on strategically layered, sintered titanium fibers with anisotropic mechanical properties adjustable in three dimensions (TiFi). The matrix material is cp titanium. Parallel and cross-ply topologies at two different porosities (75 and 85 %) were manufactured and mechanically tested. In vitro and in vivo biocompatibility testing was carried out. The tests performed on the new material demonstrated anisotropic mechanical properties like those of natural bone, excellent osteoconductivity and, thus, excellent properties for use as an orthopaedic implant material.