Post processing of 3D printed metal scaffolds: A preliminary study of antimicrobial efficiency

Additive manufacturing techniques enable users to produce complex devices that would not be possible by conventional methods, offering unique advantages to the medical industry due to the possibility to customize devices to accurately fit patient geometries. The process as done today needs still to be optimized in many aspects to achieve implants which better meet the requirements of the end application. Both the surface and the mechanical properties of the implant device have to better mimic the properties of the anatomical region of interest to assure a good interconnection with the surrounding tissue and the development of a strong interface. In the case of complex implants, the geometric accuracy of the replacing device is not the only factor with regard to the specific patient need. An optimal surface treatment after the manufacturing process can lead to a highly improved interaction of the implant with the surrounding physiological tissue. The improved outcome will be beneficial for the patient recovery process after the operation. This work goal is to provide an optimization of the post processing process of 3D printed titanium implants and the improvement of their performances, by a better and shorter assimilation of the implant to achieve the optimal patient wellness. In particular, the paper aims at the preliminary identification of the proper surface treatments that can lead to an implant that promotes the reduction of the bacterial adhesion to allow a better osseointegration in a long-term period. Ti6Al4V samples have been produced by a Selective Laser Melting (SLM) machine and the as-built surfaces have been treated in order to analyze the effects of post-processing on the surface and antimicrobial properties of the 3D printed specimens.