Performance analysis of grafted poly (2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) on additively manufactured titanium substrate for hip implant applications

Abstract The incidence of total hip arthroplasty (THA) has been evidently growing over the last few decades. Surface modification, such as polymer grafting onto implant surfaces using poly (2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC), has been gaining attention due to its excellent biocompatibility and high lubricity behaviour resulting in reducing surgical recurrence number and increasing implant lifetime. Investigating thermal stability and mechanical properties of the grafted polymer is, therefore, extremely important as these properties define the failure mechanism of implants. This study focuses on optimising monomer concentration to achieve the best physical, thermal and mechanical properties of the grafted additively manufactured titanium (Ti6Al4V) implants. Three different concentration of monomers, 0.4 M, 0.6 M and 0.8 M, were investigated, and grafted implants were characterised. The results from thermal analysis confirmed that the PMPC polymer is thermally stable for implant applications regardless of the monomer concentrations. A significant reduction in Young’s modulus of polymer grafted samples (33.2–42.9%), in comparison with untreated Ti6Al4V samples and consequent improvement of wear resistance and elasticity behaviour, proved the potentiality of polymer films for implant applications. In summary, polymer grafted implant prepared with 0.6 M monomer concentration showed the optimal thermal, physical and wear resistance properties.