Metal element-fusion peptide heterostructured nanocoatings endow polyetheretherketone implants with robust anti-bacterial activities and in vivo osseointegration.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), renowned for its exceptional mechanical properties and bio-stability, is considered a promising alternative to traditional metal-based implants. However, the inferior bactericidal activity and the limited angiogenic and osteogenic properties of PEEK remain the three major obstacles to osseointegration in vivo . To overcome these obstacles, in this work, a versatile heterostructured nanocoating was conceived and equipped on PEEK. This nanocoating was designed to endow PEEK with the ability of photo-activated pathogen disinfection, along with enhanced angiogenesis and osteogenesis, effectively addressing the triple-barrier challenge towards osseointegration. The crafted nanocoating, encompassing diverse nutritional metal elements (Fe 3+ , Mg 2+ , and Sr 2+ ) and a fusion peptide adept at promoting angiogenesis and osteogenesis, was seamlessly decorated onto PEEK. The engineered implant exhibited an antibacterial activity of over 94% upon near-infrared illumination by virtue of the photothermal conversion of the polyphenol nanocoating. Simultaneously, the decorated hierarchical nanocoatings synergistically promoted cellular adhesion and proliferation and up-regulated angiogenesis-/osteogenesis-associated cytokine expression in endothelial/osteoblast cells, resulting in superior angiogenic differentiation and osteoinductive capability in vitro . Moreover, an in vivo assay in a rabbit femoral defect model revealed that the decorated implant can achieve ameliorative osseointegrative fixation. Collectively, this work offers a practical and instructive clinical strategy to address the triple-barrier challenge associated with PEEK-based implants.