Using an advanced technology developed at NUST MISIS in collaboration with Canadian colleagues, researchers for the first time have achieved superelasticity in a biocompatible titanium alloy for orthopedic implants produced via 3D printing. The technology is already patented and has the potential to provide an effective replacement for damaged bone tissue.
“Biomedical engineering is a rapidly growing field that demands the introduction of new technologies and products to the market. Researchers at NUST MISIS, led by the distinguished scientist Professor Sergey Prokoshkin, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, have patented a method for producing titanium shape-memory alloys via 3D printing. This breakthrough may pave the way for large-scale use of customized implants in orthopedics and traumatology. Laser printing ensures the precise reproduction of a medical device’s required geometry, while the modified material composition provides the necessary combination of physical, chemical, and biological properties for practical use,” Rector of NUST MISIS Alevtina Chernikova.
Personalized implants are one of the key priorities in biomedical materials science. For such applications, it is crucial not only to ensure strength and corrosion resistance but also to achieve mechanical behavior similar to that of natural bone tissue.
“Titanium alloys, including those with shape-memory and superelastic properties, often lose part of their functionality during additive manufacturing due to changes in chemical composition caused by powder atomization and laser melting. To address this, we deliberately adjusted the alloy composition at the melting stage, increasing titanium content while reducing zirconium and niobium. This compensated for titanium losses during subsequent processing and allowed us to achieve the target composition of Ti-18Zr-15Nb,” Professor Vadim Sheremetyev, Head of the Shape-Memory Alloys Laboratory at NUST MISIS.
Samples of the alloy produced by selective laser melting demonstrated a number of unique advantages. Notably, their elastic modulus is much closer to that of natural bone compared to conventional titanium alloys manufactured using traditional methods. Detailed results of the study are available in the journal Materials Letters (Q2).
“For the first time, this new approach enabled us to achieve superelasticity with high reversible strain in a next-generation biocompatible Ti-Zr-Nb alloy produced via selective laser melting. This is a significant result, since superelasticity is crucial for orthopedic implants exposed to cyclic loading and requiring high resilience after unloading. Looking ahead, we plan to develop personalized implants with tailored internal architectures designed for individual patients,” Professor Sergey Prokoshkin, Scientific Director of the Shape-Memory Alloys Laboratory at NUST MISIS.
Currently, alloy samples produced at the facilities of partner company KONMET LLC are undergoing preclinical testing. Following successful completion, the project will proceed to clinical trials.
The research was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (Project No. 22-79-10299-П) and carried out within the framework of the NUST MISIS strategic technological project Biomedical Materials and Bioengineering under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia’s Priority 2030 program.
