SELECTION AND PORE DISTRIBUTION ANALYSIS OF BIOCOMPOSITE IMPLANTS FOR LOAD-BEARING BONE REPLACEMENT

Abstract

Fabrication of biocomposites to promote bone growth through pore distribution and gradient formation for loadbearing bone replacement have gained attention due to their excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. This research study aims to investigate the selection and pore distribution analysis of homogenous, porous, and gradient biocomposite implants for load-bearing bone replacement. The study utilises powder metallurgy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Image J software to produce and characterise the pore size distribution of the biocomposites, respectively. The software can segment the image to isolate the pores from the rest of the implant, measure the size of individual pores, and generate pore size distribution plots. The radar chart was adopted to compare and evaluate the mechanical strength of various biocomposite implants to identify the most suitable implant for load-bearing bone replacement. The findings of this study revealed the gradient and porous biocomposites exhibited desired mechanical properties with porosity of 20.67 and 27.72 % pore size up to 134 and 256 μm, compressive strength of 162 and 95 MPa and compressive modulus of 30.42 and 28.3 GPa respectively. The SEM analysis, coupled with pore size distribution and porosity percentage measurements, offers valuable information for optimising the design and fabrication of biomaterials with enhanced properties. Radar chart analysis further contributes to a comprehensive evaluation of the implants' mechanical and physical characteristics.