Nanostructured metallic implants

Nanostructured metallic implants with superior mechanical properties... 

Nanostructured metals for better orthopedic implants with improved biological functions... 

However, nanostructured CoCrMo implants still possess a potential risk of longterm toxicity caused by nanoscale wear debris from the articulating surfaces [30], especially in the case of metal-on-metal implants. In a recent study, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of nanoparticles and micron-sized particles of CoCr alloy were... 

There are extensive studies centering on the fabrication of nanostructured metals in order to improve their mechanical properties. Since mechanical performance of orthopedic implant is critical to its applications, liability and lifetime, superior mechanical properties are always wanted. Depending on clinical settings, the wanted properties include, but are not limited to, enhanced mechanical strengths, toughness, ductility, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and special characteristics such as superplasticity and shape-memory effect. Due to space limitations, only the typical aspects and examples of implant mechanical properties enhanced by nanotechnology are introduced here. 

P. Mazzoldi, G. Mattel, C. Maurizio, E. Cattaruzza, F. Gonella, in E. Knystautas (ed.) Metal Alloy Nanoclusters by Ion Implantation in Silica, in Engineering Thin Films and Nanostructures with Ion Beams, Chapter 7, CRC Press, New York, 2005, 82. 

A remaining crucial technological milestone to pass for an implanted device remains the stability of the biocatalytic fuel cell, which should be expressed in months or years rather than days or weeks. Recent reports on the use of BOD biocatalytic electrodes in serum have, for example, highlighted instabilities associated with the presence of 02, urate or metal ions [99, 100], and enzyme deactivation in its oxidized state [101]. Strategies to be considered include the use of new biocatalysts with improved thermal properties, or stability towards interferences and inhibitors, the use of nanostructured electrode surfaces and chemical coupling of films to such surfaces, to improve film stability, and the design of redox mediator libraries tailored towards both mediation and immobilization. 

NIR-absorbing metal nanostructures are appealing for biomedical imaging applications for reasons discussed previously, and this includes biological applications of SERS. For example, NIR-active core-shell superparticles have been prepared by the electrostatic assembly of densely packed Au nanoparticles on submicron silica spheres.34 Such superparticle probes can be implanted into mammalian cells by cationic transfection,186 and have produced SERS signals from absorbed DNA.187 Biocompatible SERS nanoparticle tags can also be used as contrast agents for in vivo detection, as previously discussed.169... 

The development of nanostructured platforms based on novel metal-oxide films can provide insight into cell-material interactions for the development of improved implant surfaces. In this... 

---