抄録
For the purpose of preserving cancellous bone as much as possible and reviving a new surface replacement, we have attempted to develop an artificial articular cartilage, PVA-H. We have obtained very encouraging results, regarding the mechanical properties of this material for artificial articular cartilage, such as lubricating and shock-absorbing function. An important problem that remains is how to firmly attach the material to the bone. For that purpose, we infiltrated a polyvinyl-alcohol solution into the pores of titanium fiber mesh and bonded these two materials by gelling the PVA, thus obtaining a composite material. The composite material was implanted into both femoral condyles of 12 dogs under load bearing conditions. As a result, sufficient bone ingrowth into the pores of titanium fiber mesh was observed 8 weeks after implantation, and the composite material was firmly attached to neighboring bone due to bone ingrowth. Because another important prerequisite for a prosthesis, the wear resistant properties, was improved remarkably by gamma irradiation, this composite material appears to be a very promising artifical joint material. The partial replacement of the femoral head in aseptic necrosis, an artificial intervertebral disc, and surface arthroplasty of non-weight bearing joints have been considered for clinical applications and are now being investigated.
