Additive Manufacturing: Overcoming Fatigue Strength Hurdles in Orthopedic Implants

About Webinar

Orthopedics has experienced a proliferation of additive manufactured implants in recent years. Additive manufacturing has primarily been used for hip cups and spine devices. But why not other implants like hip stems and screws? This OMTEC session brought together multiple perspectives to discuss fatigue strength challenges that orthopedic companies face in expanding their use of additive manufacturing. Speakers gave short presentations highlighting how fatigue plays a role in designing, testing and manufacturing additive implants.

Learning objectives included:

Understanding primary fatigue strength concerns with additive manufactured implants
Learning how companies are handling these concerns in their product development initiatives
Receiving insight into future additive manufactured orthopedic applications

About speaker/s

Mukesh Kumar, Ph.D., Global Technology Directory, Lincotek Medical

Mukesh Kumar, Ph.D., is Global Technology Director at Lincotek Medical. He joined Surface Dynamics, now Lincotek Medical, with over 19 years of experience working at Biomet and Zimmer Biomet.

Dr. Kumar is credited with the development of multiple platform technologies that include OsseoTi (Additive Manufactured Ti6Al4V implants), Regenerex (porous titanium implant constructs), Bonus (human-derived demineralized bone matrix) and Calcium Phosphate bone void fillers (Calcigen PSI and MimixQS). In addition, he has extensive experience in thermal spray technologies, cleaning of metallic implants, 3D printing and the design and set up of stable processes for the manufacture of implantable medical devices.

John Bohenik, Research, Development and Engineering Manager, Osseus Fusion Systems

John Bohenick is the Manager of Research, Development, and Engineering at Osseus Fusion Systems. Mr. Bohenick began working in medical devices designing and fabricating shear force test bioreactors for ovarian cancer research at the University of Michigan. He developed spine orthopedics at Globus Medical, where he launched the largest footprint interbody device in the world. Under his direction, Osseus launched a new posterior cervical fixation system, a new sacroiliac joint fusion system and a new disruptive standalone ALIF system in 2022. Mr. Bohenick has a keen interest in the mechanics of the human body and new technologies that disrupt the status quo.

Lisa Ferrara, Ph.D., Technical Director, Element Materials Technology

Lisa Ferrara, Ph.D., is the Technical Director for the Medical Device Consulting and Regulatory Division of Element Materials Technology.

Academically, she held a joint appointment for the Departments of Neurosurgery and Orthopedic Surgery at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, where she founded the Spine Research Laboratory and served as the director. During her 25 years of academic research, she authored more than 60 journal publications, 26 book chapters, was granted multiple patents and gave over 70 invited lectures on innovative technologies. Dr. Ferrara serves on the editorial staff of multiple orthopedic and spine medical journals.

Ryan Kircher, Senior Additive Manufacturing Engineer, rms Company

With over 16 years of experience in additive manufacturing of medical devices and other metal AM components, Mr. Kircher helped launch one of the first implantable AM medical device manufacturing facilities in the U.S. Mr. Kircher has been involved in the development of numerous FDA-cleared AM medical devices (Hip, Extremity, Knee, Spine, PMI, CMF, Guiding). His primary focus is Ti6Al4V powder bed fusion manufacturing but has also worked to develop other metal and polymer medical devices. His current work is focused on broadening the use of metal AM in the medical device field, including work in standardization and development of post-processing, heat treatment, and inspection techniques which facilitate the adoption of AM.

No matter your station in the orthopedic commercialization chain — engineer, executive, buyer, surgeon, investor, inventor, manufacturer — OMTEC is your resource.