icotec ag in Altstätten has received the 2007Materialica Design Award in the “surfaces” category in Munich, Germany, for the functional coating of composite implants made of carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK.

icotec ag in Altstätten has received the 2007Materialica Design Award in the “surfaces” category in Munich, Germany, for the functional coating of composite implants made of carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK. This marks the third time in a row the Swiss company has received this international innovation and design award for one of its products.

Carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK is a composite material that is mainly used in aeronautical and aerospace applications, as well as in lifestyle applications such as golf clubs and motorcycles. icotec has been a pioneer in using this high-performance material for biomedical implants. The company recently extended the range of properties of its implants with a titanium coating on the composite biomaterial.

“The possibility of partial or full coating of our composite implants is for us a logical further development in order to establish the icotec implants in modern-day medicine. The rough surface coating enables a strong bone attachment on the implant. This is a desirable effect if the implant remains in the body. Unlike the only slight bone attachment on uncoated composite implants: ideal for applications where the implant needs to be removed after healing. With partial coating, we are able to control the strength of the bone adhesion according to the application’s needs,” said Roger Stadler, managing director of icotec.

For more information, visit www.icotec.biz.