Okani Medical Technology uses Solvay Peek for knee implant

^{Orkani Medical Technology is using Solvay Peek for its latest knee implant.}

Okani Medical Technology, a China-based pioneer in artificial joint applications, has developed an all-polymer knee implant based on Solvay’s Zeniva polyetheretherketone (Peek). Okani’s novel ORGKnee implant is said to offer a longer service life at a lower cost than traditional metallic implant systems.

Okani evaluated Zeniva Peek’s suitability for the femoral and tibial tray components of its knee implant according to ISO 14243-1:2009, which simulates normal walking behaviour over ten years. The findings, which Okani presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) 2018 Annual Meeting, indicates that the ORGKnee implant made of Zeniva Peek exhibited 50% less wear versus a metal implant as measured by material loss over 3 million cycles.

Okani selected Zeniva Peek for its ORGKnee implant due, in part, to the material’s success in spinal implant applications. Unlike implants made of cobalt chrome or titanium alloys, those moulded from Zeniva Peek exhibit a modulus similar to cortical bone, which can improve patient comfort, provide a more stable fixation over time and extend implant lifetime due to significantly reduced wear of the total knee-joint prosthesis.

“Peek’s injection moulding capability makes large-scale production of ORGKnee implants possible in a fraction of the time and cost it takes to make metal implants, which can take up to three months to manufacture, machine and polish using methods that can pose risks both to workers and the environment,” said Zhonglin Zhu, chief technology officer for Okani.

Another motivation that prompted Okani’s decision to work with Solvay was the polymer supplier’s reputation for partnering with highly innovative medical device companies.

“Okani’s implant is not only a perfect showcase for the unique properties of Zeniva Peek, but also for Solvay’s open innovation business model, which takes a collaborative approach to helping medical device customers foster innovation and optimize their technology,” said Jeff Hrivnak, global business manager for healthcare at Solvay’s Specialty Polymers Business Unit.

Okani’s ORGKnee implant enters pre-clinical trials this April before undergoing standard clinical trials by China’s Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) in September, 2018. The company plans to commercially launch its ORGKnee solution in 2020 after CFDA approvals are complete.