A systematic review of polymer composite in biomedical engineering

This review focuses on 3D printing of calcium hydroxyapatite (cHAp) as a composite on poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) scaffolds and related structures. The combination is made of cHAp and coated biocompatible PEEK, a composite material with improved mechanical, thermal and flow properties for biocompatibility and bone implant. The interactions of the PEEK/cHAp interfaces that allow biological fusion are investigated for new biomedical applications. This research demonstrates biocompatibility by reviewing conventional coating techniques for HAp and PEEK fusion interfaces and in vitro and in vivo studies of the interactions between proteins and composite. A cell study of interactions between cHAp and PEEK biomolecules and how these interactions are affected by specific pre-adsorption of proteins is discussed. This study offers concise knowledge and understanding of the nanomaterials used as modifiers for improving biological behaviours of PEEK/cHAp nanocomposites in bone implants and tissue engineering. The main applications of 3D printed cHAp scaffolds in bone tissue engineering are presented and discussed. This review emphasises the most recent development and testing of multifunctional cHAp-based systems combining multiple properties for advanced therapies such as bone regeneration, antibacterial effect angiogenesis and cancer treatment.