الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The undesirable characteristics of metallic dental implants such as titanium and the
poor mechanical properties of dental implants based on bio-ceramics, including bio-glass, are
among the deficiencies driving the development of implants based on synthesized polymers.
Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a polymeric material that was suggested as a suitable
biomaterial in the 1980s that has been used in orthopedic and spinal implants. The interest in
PEEK as an alternative to metallic and ceramic implants, in the past decade, has been increased
due to its mechanical and biological properties in addition to its translucency to X-rays.
The main mechanical advantage of PEEK is its lower Young’s modulus of elasticity (3-4
GPa) which is very close to that of the human bone (6-18 GPa). However, PEEK has major
disadvantage when compared to titanium, it has no bioactive potential. This means that the long
term success of PEEK implant is purely dependent on screw fixation and different surface
treatments used, but several studies showed direct bone contact between PEEK and human
bone.
It has been reported that by applying hydroxyapatite (HA) to the PEEK, either applied
into its surface or mixed with the polymer could overcome its limited bioactivity i.e. PEEK
becomes more hydrophilic and possesses bioactivity to be considered as possible substitutes
to titanium and zirconia for dental implants manufacturing.
This study was aimed to prepare and characterize PEEK implant specimens that were
modified by different methods to overcome its limited bioactivity using nano hydroxyapatite
particles as a surface coating or melt blended with the PEEK implants to produce bioactive
composite. The study also evaluated the ability of the prepared PEEK implants to enhance
peri-implant bone healing and osseointegration in the rabbit model.