ITEK commercialises products from the University of South Australia. 

One of our medical products is the Wark Nanocoating, an improved hydroxyapatite (HA) layer that bonds implants to bone faster and stronger than current HA, and is cheaper to apply.

The use of (HA) in orthopaedics and dentistry has offered surfaces that have promoted the growth of bone around the implant. However, HA has a number of drawbacks, it can become dislodged in vivo causing loosening and can contribute to wear particles. Its resorption requires significant bone remodeling which often leaves inadequate bone/implant integration. HA is a difficult material to apply thinly, evenly and consistently, and almost impossible for small intricate implants. 

Now, there is a better way - the Wark Nanocoating - an ultra thin HA layer over a powerfully bonded and very hard layer of bioactive silica.

• Thinness of the nanocoating: at 500 times thinner than most plasma sprayed HA coatings, bone has only a fraction of the distance to grow and HA to resorb.
• The even coating and negative surface charge means bone cells will adhere to the surface more efficiently and rapidly.
• Low crystalinity promotes faster post implantation processes including incorporation of growth factors onto the coating so speeding lamellar bone formation.

The Wark Nanocoating is eight times stronger than plasma sprayed HA. The patented Plasma (ionized gas) Deposition process produces a very hard graded layer of bioactive silica with HA on top. Following HA resorption the osseointegration into porous surfaces is enhanced and the hardness of the bioactive silica reduces wear particle formation. Wark bioactive silica has been shown to have a low inflammatory response. The result is a very strong and enduring bone/implant bond with resistance to loose particle formation.

At just a third of the cost of plasma spraying, the Wark Plasma Deposition is: