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Review
. 2019 Nov 19;10(1):17-41.
doi: 10.1007/s13534-019-00134-8. eCollection 2020 Feb.

Electrochemical methods to enhance osseointegrated prostheses

Mark T Ehrensberger  1   2 , Caelen M Clark  1 , Mary K Canty  1   3 , Eric P McDermott  1
Affiliations
Review

Electrochemical methods to enhance osseointegrated prostheses

Mark T Ehrensberger et al. Biomed Eng Lett. .

Abstract

Osseointegrated (OI) prosthetic limbs have been shown to provide an advantageous treatment option for amputees. In order for the OI prosthesis to be successful, the titanium implant must rapidly achieve and maintain proper integration with the bone tissue and remain free of infection. Electrochemical methods can be utilized to control and/or monitor the interfacial microenvironment where the titanium implant interacts with the biological system (host bone tissue or bacteria). This review will summarize the current understanding of how electrochemical modalities can influence bone tissue and bacteria with specific emphasis on applications where the metallic prosthesis itself can be utilized directly as a stimulating electrode for enhanced osseointegration and infection control. In addition, a summary of electrochemical impedance sensing techniques that could be used to potentially assess osseointegration and infection status of the metallic prosthesis is presented.

Keywords: Biofilms; Electrical stimulation; Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; Implant associated infection; Osseointegration; Osteogenesis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Two electrode a three electrode b and four electrode configuration for EIS measurements. Working electrode (WE) counter electrode (CE) reference electrode (RE) and working sense electrode (WSE)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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