Tech Peek | PEKK 3D Printed Polymer

Eat your heart out Wolverine. The X-Men superhero won’t be the only one to regenerate damaged or destroyed bone. A new kind of 3D printed polymer offers bone-like mechanics, bone regeneration, and anti-bacterial performance giving hope to today’s trauma victims with crushed or diseased bones. Very few substances are bio compatible and come close to the lightness and strength of bone. Oxford Performance Materials 3D prints polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) parts for cranial and facial implants, vertebral replacement, and suture anchors for rotator cuff repair. PEKK’s unique adhesive and wetting properties are proving it encourages bone growth and discourages infection. PEKK is helping patients live better lives. Today, PEKK is supporting the cranial structure of a veteran who lost the side of her face from an UXO. As a buttress to the trachea of a child, PEKK allows him to now breathe independently.