Published on: 2026-08-05
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
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Scientists from the Advanced Engineering School of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (AE SPbPU) “Digital Engineering” have found a solution to the complex problem of joint prosthetics. To avoid the conflict between a foreign body and bone tissue, the polytechnicians proposed turning a solid metal prosthesis into a thin-walled yet incredibly strong mesh.
An artificial joint is always a risk. Even a perfectly installed metal implant can become loose over time, requiring the patient to undergo another painful surgery. The reason lies in the physical inhomogeneity of tissues: steel or titanium are too rigid, they “take away” the load from the bone, which, left without work, atrophies and deteriorates. Instead of a solid block, engineers use meta-biomaterials — complex lattice structures that, like honeycombs, penetrate the entire volume of the implant.
At the digital design stage, scientists can flexibly change the geometry of these cells. As a result, the stiffness of the implant can reasonably vary depending on the stiffness of the bone of a specific patient. When the stiffnesses match, the load during walking is distributed physiologically. The bone does not “rest” next to the titanium but works in the usual manner.
But the most interesting part is the voids inside the mesh. These pores act as perfect scaffolding for the body. The fluid and micro-deformations inside the cells serve as signals to stem cells, prompting them to actively build new bone tissue directly within the metal framework.
We wanted the implant to stop being just an inert support and become an active medium that directs regeneration itself. By controlling the geometry of the cell, we essentially program the material: we set its required stiffness according to the specific properties of the bone, and also create conditions within the pores for the growth of new tissue. The properties of the future implant are established at the digital design stage,
To ensure the effectiveness of the development, the team conducted extensive digital and physical modeling. The most impressive evidence is the mathematical and computer modeling of bone regeneration at the level of a single microscopic cell.
Before printing the prostheses on a 3D printer from a titanium alloy, scientists created their most accurate digital copies (finite element models). These supercomputer models were tested for strength in seven scenarios: from the patient’s calm walking to a sudden climb up the stairs and standing up from a chair.
Digital tests showed excellent results: in none of the scenarios did the stresses reach critical values. It turned out that lattice structures of the Diamond type are best suited for the femur bone, while for the complex anatomy of the pelvis, the Gyroid surface structure provided minimal stresses both in the implant itself and in the surrounding cortical bone.
The main outcome of the work is the methodology of predictive and evidence-based design. Alexey Borovkov, Director of the Advanced Engineering School at SPbPU “Digital Engineering” and the scientific supervisor of the project, emphasizes: The primary result is not a single specific design, but a methodology and knowledge base with which implants can be designed to exhibit predictable behavior for a specific clinical task. The hip joint endoprosthesis serves here as a clear demonstrative example that confirms the method works. In the future, we will be able to create implants of different localizations, tailored to the anatomy and lifestyle of a specific patient. This is about transitioning to evidence-based design of next-generation orthopedic structures.
The next step is the manufacture of such individual prostheses and their clinical testing. Over the next two years, under a grant from the Russian Science Foundation, the scientists will continue their research and plan to adapt this technology for the creation of polymer spinal implants.
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