3rd International PEEK Meeting Announced

The dates of the 3rd International PEEK (polyaryletherketone) Meeting have been announced: April 27-28, 2017. The conference, which will be hosted by the Implant Research Center at Drexel University, will take place in collaboration with Exponent, Inc. and with the support of Invibio Biomaterial Solutions.

At the meeting, engineers, clinicians, and regulatory personnel with gather together to hear the latest research on medical grade PEEK. According to the May 4, 2016 news release, attendees will be focusing on “gaps in the regulatory science for medical grade PEEK technology and clinical applications, including:

• Advances in additive manufacturing of PEEK and its composites
• Innovations in orthopaedic bearings
• Bioactive PEEK composites
• Advances in spinal rods and artificial disc applications
• Advances in formulations for dental, trauma and arthroscopic implants
• Structural composites and woven fiber applications
• Advances in biologic aspects of wear debris

Some of the key questions to be addressed during the meeting are:

• What are the existing gaps in the regulatory science of PEEK biomaterials applications and how can they be addressed?
• What are the latest advances for additive manufacturing of PEEK and its composites?
• What is the future role for PEEK in total knee arthroplasty?

Abstract Submission Deadlines

• First Call for Abstracts: April 27, 2016
• Abstracts Final Due Date: September 15, 2016 – midnight EST
• Abstract Acceptance Notification: November 1, 2016 – corresponding author notified

Steven Kurtz, Ph.D. is with the Implant Research Center at Drexel University. He told OTW, “I think the most interesting part of the event will be the combined regulatory, scientific, and clinical audience. We all need to understand not only the technical aspects about PEEK and device characteristics but to help patients and translate these advances to the clinic as quickly as possible, it is important that we understand the regulatory science dimension of this new type of implant biomaterial. The focus of the upcoming meeting is going to be on the clinical understanding of how PEEK performs in new applications along with additive manufacturing of PEEK implants, and understanding how to address the regulatory science questions in this area.

“The message for the audience is that research involving PEEK has reached “critical mass” attracting the attention of not only scientists, but increasingly clinicians and regulators. This is an area of active innovation not just in spine, but also orthopaedics, trauma, and dentistry, especially when you consider the role of PEEK in these new applications and the new role of additive manufacturing in patient specific implant manufacture.”