Mechanical and biological behavior of biomedical PEEK matrix composites: A focused review

The aim of this study was to conduct a focused review on the mechanical and biological behavior of PEEK composites for biomedical applications. A Medline bibliographical search was carried out. The following search items were analyzed: “PEEK and composites”. The selection criteria used for this article were: research papers written in English focused on the mechanical and biological behavior of PEEK composites. Results indicated the incorporation of bioactive particles into PEEK to enhance the bioactivity although some of those fillers can decrease the strength of the composite. On the other hand, the addition of 3-D braided carbon fiber increased significantly the mechanical strength of PEEK composites. In fact, the chemical composition, microstructure and properties of the fillers can affect both biocompatibility and mechanical strength of PEEK composites. This reveals a great challenge in this field leading to novel development to simultaneously improve the mechanical strength and bioactivity of PEEK composites. A potential strategy is to produce ternary composites whereas one of the fillers provides bioactivity for the composite while the other is responsible to enhance the mechanical strength. Another way could be to perform a surface treatment in the particles in order to increase the adhesion between matrix and filler.