Continual advancements in technology allow medicine to move forward, providing safer and better outcomes for patient life quality. Prosthetics focuses on providing patients with an artificial replacement for a body part that has been lost due to illness.
Plasma spraying
To understand how plasma is used in prosthetics, we need to understand plasma spraying. A subset of thermal spraying, plasma spraying uses an electrical arc to generate a high-temperature plasma. This is designed to melt and spray materials onto a surface.
Thermal plasma spraying is unique in that it provides a coating that is both porous and rough at the same time.
Suitability for prosthetics
In the case of prosthetics, plasma provides an ideal surface for bone integration; therefore, it is widely used within the medical sector for coating specific prosthetic parts.
The many advantages of plasma use include creating a surface treatment that can withstand high levels of extreme heat, friction, and wear. Coupled with its ability to promote osseointegration, this makes it the ideal process for prosthetic parts.
Plasma coatings allow patients to be fitted with cementless implanted prosthesis solutions. The bone can grow and fit perfectly with the prosthesis; what’s more, painful pressure at the bone-implant site is reduced.
It also provides a strong and stable fixation that supports and promotes healthy tissue growth. Coatings that are typically used in prosthetic applications include titanium, hydroxyapatite, and double-layer titanium plus hydroxyapatite.
Thermal plasma spray specialists
Thermal plasma spray solutions are delivered by industry specialists such as poeton.co.uk/surface-treatments/thermal-metal-sprays/plasma-coatings/.
Particles are heated to a high temperature before being sprayed onto the pre-prepared substrate at high velocity. After the near-molten particles have made contact with the surface, the cooling process sees them cooling and contracting to form a mechanical bond.
In addition to being used in the medical field of prosthetics, plasma spray coatings are used in a wide range of other industries and sectors. A specialist provider will have an expert team on hand to advise you on the correct process for your needs.
