LAUSR

The stress shielding effect caused by traditional metal implants is circumvented by using polyetheretherketone (PEEK), whose elastic modulus similar to that of natural bone; however, the biologically inert nature of PEEK limits its application. Endowing PEEK with biological activity to promote osseointegration would increase its applicability for bone replacement implants. We performed a biomimetic study inspired by mineralized collagen fiber bundles that contact bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) on the native trabecular bone surface. The PEEK surface (P) was first sulfonated with sulfuric acid to form a porous network structure (sP). The surface was then encapsulated with amorphous hydroxyapatite (HA) by magnetron sputtering to form a biomimetic scaffold that resembles mineralized collagen fiber bundles (sPHA). Amorphous HA simulates the composition of osteogenic regions in vivo and exhibits strong biological activity. Based on in vitro cytological experiments, more favorable cell adhesion and osteogenic differentiation could be attained with the novel active surface of sPHA than with SP. The results of in vivo experiments showed that the novel surface exhibited osteoinductive and osteoconductive activity and facilitated bone formation and osseointegration. Therefore, the surface modification strategy can significantly improve the biological activity of PEEK, facilitate effective osseointegration and inspiring further bionic modification of other inert polymers similar to PEEK. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.