Experimental substantiation of the use of porous permeable titanium nickelide orbital implants –E.N. Terletskaya, V.N. Khodorenko, Yu.A. Medvedev, S.G. Anikeev, P.S. Petruk, V.E. Gunther, D.V. Davydov

Introduction. Porous alloys based on titanium nickelide are successfully used in medical practice because of high biocompatibility due to chemical inertia, developed surface and similarity to vital tissues in mechanical properties. The progress of surgical technologies in ophthalmology is associated, among other things, with fundamental and applied studies of the interaction of eye tissues with implanted materials. The purpose of this study is to explore the process of biointegration, formation peculiarities and chemical composition of tissues at different periods of use of a porous-permeable titanium nickelide orbital implant. Material and methods. The experiment was performed on 20 animals (dogs) and includes eyeball evisceration with the formation of a musculoskeletal stump with a porous titanium nickelide orbital implant of theTN-10 brand. The process of biointegration was studied on the 10th, 30th, 90th and 180th days after surgery. After these periods, the samples were removed from the host body to study their structure by electron scanning microscopy and X-ray spectral microanalysis. Results. The analysis of the obtained results showed clearly visualized presence of the organic tissue on the surface and in the pore space of the studied implants. The emerging connective tissue is characterized by good adhesion to the implant surface, consists of a fibrous component, which is mainly represented by collagen fibers, and fibroblast cells are also visualized. The entire thickness of the implant, including the central sections, from the early stages of observation has signs of widespread germination of connective tissue, which fits snugly to the surface of the implant pores and fills their volume already on the 30th day of observation, providing high strength properties of the «tissue-implant» structure. Conclusion. The high ability for biointegration in combination with the frame properties of the material creates prerequisites for the use of porous-permeable titanium nickelide orbital implant for the eyeball musculoskeletal stump formation after evisceration. The high integration connection «tissue-implant» structure provides a strong fixation in the tissues, a stable shape and volume of the eyeball musculoskeletal stump, reduces the risk of exposure and implant rejection. Keywords: eye diseases, eye evisceration, orbital implant, titanium nickelide Conflicts of interest. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Funding. There was no funding for this study