A leading manufacturer of tumour and revision implants is making waves with an innovative manufacturing process that offers rapid, cost-effective and high-quality production of medical devices of almost any complex form
Implantcast GmbH is a German orthopaedic company from Buxtehude, founded in 1988 with more than 27 years of history and still privately held. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of tumour and revision implants.
As well as supplying modular systems for hip, knee and shoulder joints, Implantcast is serving the market with special customised implants and patient-specific instruments.
Speed and service are the main goals, when bringing up solutions for the individual patients. Using CT scan and MRI data, Implantcast is planning patient-specific implants as well as instruments; since November 2013 the company has used the new additive manufacturing EBM method (electron beam melting), as one of the first producers in Europe. EBM technology offers rapid, flexible and cost-effective production directly from a patient’s own 3D electronic data.
This new innovative manufacturing process offers cost-effective, high-quality manufacturing of medical devices of almost any complex form. Additive manufacturing accelerates product production time scale for custom prosthesis, offers design freedom and allows for a high degree of primary and secondary fixation.
EPORE® is a highly porous structure made of titanium alloy (Ti6AlV4). Titanium alloy is an excellent material for use as a porous in-growth structure as it is biologically inert, ductile, corrosion resistant and has a high fatigue strength.
Implantcast have designed EPORE to have a high porosity and a low modulus of elasticity so it can enhance biological in-growth. The structure is characterised by rods of 330–390µm thickness which are arrayed in a way that mimics cancellous bone structures.
The 3Fit-3D® shown on the front cover of this issue of Orthopaedic Product News illustrates the case of an individual revision acetabular implant, and shows the opportunities and solutions Implantcast can offer to the patients.
Every year Implantcast designs and manufactures more than 350 special customised implants. At its manufacturing site and headquarters in Buxtehude (about 25km southwest of Hamburg), the company employs more than 480 people, who manufacture more than 300,000 implant components per year.
In the last 25 years, Implantcast has developed several innovative solutions and products.
The lifetime of an endoprosthesis is predominantly limited by septic and aseptic loosening. Septic loosening is caused by an inflammatory reaction of the body which fights the adherent bacteria. Aseptic loosening is caused by the same mechanism, whereupon the inflammatory reaction is addressed to unknown ‘low grade’ infections or wear particles in the interface. A preservation of the surface can be achieved by a silver coating. In collaboration with the University of Muenster, Germany, Implantcast has developed a unique silver coating for MUTARS® tumour prostheses that exploits the antibacterial properties of silver. The application of a galvanised silver coating provides an intelligent protection against bacteria –bacterial colonisation and biofilm formation is omitted. As a consequence an inflammatory reaction and the loosening mechanism are avoided and the retention period of the implant is extended.
Implantcast is represented worldwide by direct subsidiaries and independent distributors in more than 65 countries. For more information visit our website.
Implantcast GmbH
www.implantcast.de
