Prague Researchers 3D Print Titanium Implants That Release Drugs as Bones Heal

A Porous Implant That Fights Infection

Researchers at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague are developing 3D-printed titanium joint implants with a built-in drug delivery system. The porous internal structure acts as a reservoir for antibiotics, releasing medication directly into the surgical site as bone grows into the lattice.

The team works with surgeons at Motol University Hospital to design implants for hips, shoulders, and ankles. Each implant is produced using laser powder bed fusion, a process that fuses thin layers of titanium powder into shape. A knee implant takes roughly ten and a half hours to print and requires about 1,300 layers.

Researcher Jiri Kubasek said the printer's precision matches the microscopic architecture of natural bone. "Bone tissue isn't solid. It's naturally porous, which allows body fluids to circulate through it. The pores are only tens to hundreds of micrometres wide, and this printer allows us to recreate structures of exactly that scale."

Professor Dalibor Vojtech, who leads part of the project, said the team tested a carrier material based on sulphates, phosphates, and silver, mixed with the antibiotic vancomycin, to prevent post-operative infection. The main challenge now is finding a biodegradable carrier that releases the drug at a controlled rate rather than all at once.

If the team solves the release timing, the implants could cut infection risk while eliminating the need for systemic antibiotics. That matters because post-operative infection remains one of the most serious complications in joint replacement surgery.