Image: Kyon/Evonik A hip implant with a carbon-fiber-reinforced PEEK ring between the ceramic head and cup is keeping pets active and, to date, has not required revision surgery. Evonik believes the technology could extend the service life of human implants fourfold.
More than 6,000 PEEK-based cement-less hip prosthetics developed by Swiss company Kyon have been implanted successfully in dogs and cats without requiring any revision surgery to date. A carbon-fiber-reinforced PEEK inlay between the ceramic head and cup, fabricated from Evonik s VESTAKEEP material, is at the heart of the technology. Now, Evonik is partnering with medical specialists at the Center for Knee and Hip Replacement at Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General) in Boston to test the technology for complex joint prosthetics in humans. The research could significantly extend the service life of these implants.