Material Characterization for Glenohumeral joint implant Manufactured by Fused Filament Fabrication using Different Bio-Compatible Polymers

Year 2026, Volume: 10 Issue: 1, 63 - 75

T Sivabalan , N Ethiraj

https://doi.org/10.31127/tuje.1614119

Abstract

Fwhere the components are manufactured by depositing material layer by layer to form the desired shape and dimensions. Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is a type of shoulder implant surgery to reconstruct the glenohumeral joint. Usage of bio compatible polymers in medical industry is increasing day by day to meet the customized requirements for the patients by replacing the metal structures which are high in weight and cost. A favourable combination of biocompatibility, bio non-degradability, corrosion resistance, strength, and relatively low weight makes the polymers as the material of choice in many surgical procedures. In this present study, specimens are fabricated by FFF method using the materials Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and High impact polystyrene (HIPS) to characterize the materials to identify the proper material for glenosphere and humeral cup. Layer height, print speed, infill density, and infill pattern with three levels of each parameter are used for fabrication. Testing for tensile, compressive, and wear properties is crucial for understanding a material's behavior and suitability in the field of orthopedic implants applications. These tests provide data on the material's strength, ability to withstand stress, and resistance to wear. Various statistical measures are evaluated to find the infleunce of input process parameters on required output responses. From the analysis, the best combination of process parameters among the experimented values is used for additive manufacturing of implants. Glenosphere and humeral cup is made using ABS and HIPS respectively for a preliminary investigation on the surface roughness and dimensional accuracy.

Keywords

Fused Filament Fabrication , Material Characterization , Bio-Compatible Polymers , Glenosphere , Humeral Cup

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