Advances in Functional Scaffolds for Bone and Joint Surgery Ryszard Uklejewski, Mariusz Winiecki, Mikołaj Dąbrowski Journal of Functional Biomaterials, 2025 One of the ultimate goals of bone and joint surgery is reconstruction via implantation of a device that replaces bone and/or joints affected by disease, traumatic damage, or deformity [...]
Contemporary nanoscale antibacterial functionalization: Strategies for titanium implant materials for bone and joint surgery Mariusz Winiecki, Ryszard Uklejewski, Adam Patalas Functionalized Materials Applications in Biomedicine, 2025 This chapter outlines contemporary nanoscale antibacterial functionalization strategies for titanium implant materials for bone and joint surgery. The recent advances in the functionalization approaches focused on designing and manufacturing nanostructured anti-adherence surfaces and release-based antibacterial coatings are presented along with representative examples of recent research verifying their efficiency against antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains.
Antibacterial and Antifungal Tannic Acid Coating on Plasma-Activated Titanium Alloy Surface Mariusz Winiecki, Magdalena Stepczyńska, Maciej Walczak, Ewelina Soszczyńska, Magdalena Twarużek, Dorota Bociaga, Marek Trzcinski, Marta Michalska-Sionkowska, Krzysztof Moraczewski International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025 Titanium (Ti) alloys, renowned for their exceptional physicochemical properties and high biocompatibility, are widely utilized in orthopedic and dental implants; however, their lack of intrinsic antimicrobial activity significantly increases the risk of implant-associated infections, often leading to severe complications and implant failure. Developing antimicrobial coatings on Ti implants is therefore a promising strategy. In this study, tannic acid (TA) coatings were deposited by immersing Ti alloy surfaces—beforehand activated by low-temperature oxygen plasma—in TA solutions at 2, 5, and 8 wt%. Coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), water contact angle (WCA) measurements, and Folin–Ciocalteu release assays, and their cytocompatibility and antimicrobial performance were assessed in vitro. Surface characterization confirmed the formation of uniform TA layers, and WCA measurements indicated enhanced hydrophilicity relative to unmodified Ti (82.0° ± 3.6°), with values decreasing as TA concentration increased (from 35.2° ± 3.2° for 2% TA to 26.6° ± 2.8° for 8% TA). TA release profiles exhibited an initial burst followed by sustained diffusion, with 5% and 8% coatings releasing significantly more TA than 2% coatings. Coatings containing ≥ 5% TA demonstrated bactericidal activity—achieving > 2-log10 reductions—against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and also showed inhibitory effects against Candida albicans. Importantly, all coatings remained cytocompatible with NIH/3T3 fibroblasts, and the released tannic acid hydrolysis products (particularly gallic acid) enhanced their proliferation. These findings indicate that plasma-activated titanium surfaces coated with ≥5 wt% tannic acid impart broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy and hold potential to reduce implant-associated infections and improve long-term outcomes in orthopedic and dental applications.
Micro-CT Assessment During Embedding of Prototype Ti Alloy Multi-Spiked Connecting Scaffold in Subchondral Trabecular Bone of Osteoarthritic Femoral Heads, Depending on Host BMI Ryszard Uklejewski, Mariusz Winiecki, Adam Patalas, Patryk Mietliński, Paweł Zawadzki, Mikołaj Dąbrowski Journal of Functional Biomaterials, 2024 The prototype of a biomimetic multi-spiked connecting scaffold (MSC-Scaffold) represents an essential innovation in the fixation in subchondral trabecular bone of components for a new generation of entirely cementless hip resurfacing arthroplasty (RA) endoprostheses. In designing such a functional biomaterial scaffold, identifying the microstructural and mechanical properties of the host bone compromised by degenerative disease is crucial for proper post-operative functioning and long-term maintenance of the endoprosthesis components. This study aimed to explore, depending on the occurrence of obesity, changes in the microstructure and mechanical properties of the subchondral trabecular bone in femoral heads of osteoarthritis (OA) patients caused by the MSC-Scaffold embedding. Computed microtomography (micro-CT) scanning of femoral heads from OA patients was conducted before and after the mechanical embedding of the MSC-Scaffold. Bone morphometric parameters such as bone volume/total volume (BV/TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular number (Tb.N) for regions surrounding the MSC-Scaffold were computed, and the mechanical properties such as bone density (ρB), bone compressive strength (S), and the Young’s modulus (E) within these regions were calculated. A statistically significant increase in BV/TV (by 15.0% and 24.9%) and Tb.Th (by 13.1% and 42.5%) and a decrease in Tb.N (by 15.2% and 23.6%) were observed, which translates to an increase in ρB (by 15.0% and 24.9%), S (by 28.8% and 49.5%), and E (by 18.0% and 29.8%) in non-obese patients and obese patients, respectively. These changes in properties are favorable for the mechanical loads’ transfer from the artificial joint surface via the MSC-Scaffold to the periarticular trabecular bone of the OA femoral head in the postoperative period.
Advances in Biomimetic Scaffolds for Hard Tissue Surgery Ryszard Uklejewski, Mariusz Winiecki Biomimetics, 2024 Hard tissues are living mineralized tissues that possess a high degree of hardness and are found in organs such as bones and teeth (enamel, dentin, and cementum) [...]
Effect of Low-Temperature Oxygen Plasma Treatment of Titanium Alloy Surface on Tannic Acid Coating Deposition Mariusz Winiecki, Magdalena Stepczyńska, Krzysztof Moraczewski, Lukasz Skowronski, Marek Trzcinski, Tomasz Rerek, Rafał Malinowski Materials, 2024 In this study, the effect of low-temperature oxygen plasma treatment with various powers of a titanium alloy surface on the structural and morphological properties of a substrate and the deposition of a tannic acid coating was investigated. The surface characteristics of the titanium alloy were evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle measurements. Following this, the tannic acid coatings were deposited on the titanium alloy substrates and the structural and morphological properties of the tannic acid coatings deposited were subject to characterization by XPS, SEM, and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements. The results show that the low-temperature oxygen plasma treatment of titanium alloys leads to the formation of titanium dioxides that contain –OH groups on the surface being accompanied by a reduction in carbon, which imparts hydrophilicity to the titanium substrate, and the effect increases with the applied plasma power. The performed titanium alloy substrate modification translates into the quality of the deposited tannic acid coating standing out by higher uniformity of the coating, lower number of defects indicating delamination or incomplete bonding of the coating with the substrate, lower number of cracks, thinner cracks, and higher thickness of the tannic acid coatings compared to the non-treated titanium alloy substrate. A similar effect is observed as the applied plasma power increases.
Towards the First Generation of Biomimetic Fixation for Resurfacing Arthroplasty Endoprostheses Ryszard Uklejewski, Mariusz Winiecki, Mikołaj Dąbrowski, Piotr Rogala Biomimetics, 2024 This paper presents advances in designs of resurfacing arthroplasty endoprostheses that occurred through their historical generations. The critical characteristics of contemporary generation hip resurfacing arthroplasty endoprostheses are given and the failures resulting from the specific generation cemented and short stem fixation of the femoral component are reviewed. On the background of these failures, the critical need arises for an alternative approach to the fixation of components of resurfacing arthroplasty leading towards the first generation of biomimetic fixation for resurfacing arthroplasty endoprostheses. The state of the art of the completed bioengineering research on the first biomimetic fixation for resurfacing arthroplasty endoprostheses is presented. This new design type of completely cementless and stemless resurfacing arthroplasty endoprostheses of the hip joint (and other joints), where endoprosthesis components are embedded in the surrounding bone via the prototype biomimetic multi-spiked connecting scaffold (MSC-Scaffold), initiates the first at all generations of biomimetic endoprostheses of diarthrodial joints.
Prototype of a Biomimetic Multi-Spiked Connecting Scaffold: For a New Generation of Resurfacing Endoprostheses Ryszard Uklejewski, Piotr Rogala, Mariusz Winiecki Prototype of A Biomimetic Multi Spiked Connecting Scaffold for A New Generation of Resurfacing Endoprostheses, 2023 The monograph comprehensively presents the research on the prototype of the biomimetic Multi-Spiked Connecting Scaffold (MSC-Scaffold) for cementless fixation of the components of a new generation of resurfacing arthroplasty (RA) endoprostheses. This research, carried out by a bioengineering-surgical team from three Polish universities, includes bioengineering design, rapid prototyping, manufacturing in selective laser melting, functionalization, surface modification, numerical studies, experimental in vitro studies, and pilot surgical experiments in an animal model. Features: •Presents the prototype of the multi-spiked connecting scaffold for a new generation of resurfacing endoprostheses of the knee and the hip. •Explains this prototype scaffold as the first worldwide design of the biomimetic fixation of components of diarthrodial joints resurfacing endoprostheses. •Insights into the entire process of bioengineering design and research on this novel way of resurfacing endoprostheses fixation. •Reviews main results of the scaffold prototyping and SLM manufacturing, structural and osteoconductive functionalization, and surface modification. •Reports experimental and numerical investigations of mechanical behavior of the scaffold-bone system, cell culture studies, and pilot surgical experiments in animal models. This book is aimed at professionals and graduate students in biomedical engineering, biomaterials engineering, and bone & joint surgery.
Subchondral bone relative area and density in human osteoarthritic femoral heads assessed with micro-ct before and after mechanical embedding of the innovative multi-spiked connecting scaffold for resurfacing tha endoprostheses: A pilot study Mikołaj Dąbrowski, Piotr Rogala, Ryszard Uklejewski, Adam Patalas, Mariusz Winiecki, Bartosz Gapiński Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021 The multi-spiked connecting scaffold (MSC-Scaffold) prototype is the essential innovation in the fixation of components of resurfacing total hip arthroplasty (THRA) endoprostheses in the subchondral trabecular bone. We conducted the computed micro-tomography (micro-CT) assessment of the subchondral trabecular bone microarchitecture before and after the MSC-Scaffold embedding in femoral heads removed during long-stem endoprosthesis total hip arthroplasty (THA) of different bone densities from 4 patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA). The embedding of the MSC-Scaffold in subchondral trabecular bone causes the change in its relative area (BA/TA, bone area/total area ratio) ranged from 18.2% to 24.7% (translating to the calculated density ρB relative change 11.1–14.4%, and the compressive strength S relative change 75.3–122.7%) regardless of its initial density (before the MSC-Scaffold embedding). The densification of the trabecular microarchitecture of subchondral trabecular bone due to the MSC-Scaffold initial embedding gradually decreases with the increasing distance from the apexes of the MSC-Scaffold’s spikes while the spatial extent of this subchondral trabecular bone densification ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 mm (which is about half the height of the MSC-Scaffold’s spikes). It may be suggested, despite the limited number of examined femoral heads, that: (1) the magnitude of the effect of the MSC-Scaffold embedding on subchondral trabecular bone densification may be a factor contributing to the maintenance of the MSC-Scaffold also for decreased initial bone density values, (2) the deeper this effect of the subchondral trabecular bone densification, the better strength of subchondral trabecular bone, and as consequence, the better post-operative embedding of the MSC-Scaffold in the bone should be expected.
Prototype of minimally invasive hip resurfacing endoprosthesis - Bioengineering design and manufacturing Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics, 2009
The poroaccessibility parameters for three-dimensional characterization of orthopaedic implants porous coatings Metrology and Measurement Systems, 2008
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Effects of Ta5+/Sr2+ co-doping on physicochemical, microstructural, mechanical, osteogenic, and antibacterial properties of β-tricalcium phosphate M Winiecki, G Costa, I Pudełko-Prażuch, K Reczyńska-Kolman, E Pamuła, ... Applied Materials Today 47, 102977 , 2025 2025
Advances in Functional Scaffolds for Bone and Joint Surgery R Uklejewski, M Winiecki, M Dąbrowski Journal of Functional Biomaterials 16 (11), 396 , 2025 2025
Contemporary Nanoscale Antibacterial Functionalization Strategies for Titanium Implant Materials for Bone and Joint Surgery AP Mariusz Winiecki, Ryszard Uklejewski Functionalized Materials Applications in Biomedicine, 20-41 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Antibacterial and Antifungal Tannic Acid Coating on Plasma-Activated Titanium Alloy Surface M Winiecki, M Stepczyńska, M Walczak, E Soszczyńska, M Twarużek, ... International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26 (15), 7051 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
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Biomimetic Scaffolds for Hard Tissue Surgery R Uklejewski, M Winiecki MDPI-Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute , 2024 2024
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Subchondral bone relative area and density in human osteoarthritic femoral heads assessed with micro-ct before and after mechanical embedding of the innovative multi-spiked … M Dabrowski, P Rogala, R Uklejewski, A Patalas, M Winiecki, B Gapinski Journal of Clinical Medicine 10 (13) , 2021 2021
Subchondral Bone Relative Area and Density in Human Osteoarthritic Femoral Heads Assessed with Micro-CT before and after Mechanical Embedding of the Innovative Multi-Spiked … M Dąbrowski, P Rogala, R Uklejewski, A Patalas, M Winiecki, B Gapiński Journal of Clinical Medicine 10 (13), 2937 , 2021 2021 Citations: 9
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Bio-Inspired Materials for Biomedical Applications M Pollini, F Paladini MDPI , 2021 2021
Design of initial fixation in bone of customized innovative hip resurfacing endoprosthesis based on validated numerical model of the biomimetic multi-spiked connecting scaffold … R Uklejewski, A Patalas, M Winiecki, P Rogala Engineering of Biomaterials 24 (163) , 2021 2021
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Stalag XXI B/H Thure. Jeńcy wojenni w Turze w latach II wojny światowej / Prisoners of war in Tur during World War II J Daniluk, M Winiecki Polish-American Foundation for the Commemoration of POW Camps in Szubin … , 2020 2020
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Selective laser melted prototype of original minimally invasive resurfacing hip endoprosthesis R Uklejewski, M Winiecki, P Rogala, J Mielniczuk Rapid Prototyping Journal 17 (1), 76-85 , 2011 2011 Citations: 43
Biomimetic Multispiked Connecting Ti-Alloy Scaffold Prototype for Entirely-Cementless Resurfacing Arthroplasty Endoprostheses—Exemplary Results of Implantation of the Ca-P … R Uklejewski, P Rogala, M Winiecki, R Tokłowicz, P Ruszkowski, ... Materials 9 (7), 532 , 2016 2016 Citations: 23
Preliminary Results of Implantation in Animal Model and Osteoblast Culture Evaluation of Prototypes of Biomimetic Multispiked Connecting Scaffold for Noncemented Stemless … R Uklejewski, P Rogala, M Winiecki, A Kędzia, P Ruszkowski BioMed Research International 2013 (doi:10.1155/2013/689089), 10 pages , 2013 2013 Citations: 22
On the structural-adaptive compatibility of bone with porous coated implants on the base of the traditional one-phase and the modern two-phase poroelastic biomechanical model … R Uklejewski, M Winiecki, P Rogala Eng. Biomat 9 (54-55), 1-13 , 2006 2006 Citations: 21
Prototype of minimally invasive hip resurfacing endoprosthesis—bioengineering design and manufacturing R Uklejewski, P Rogala, M Winiecki, J Mielniczuk Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics 11 (2), 65-70 , 2009 2009 Citations: 19
Advanced Surface Engineering Materials A Tiwari, R Wang, B Wei John Wiley & Sons , 2016 2016 Citations: 18
First biomimetic fixation for resurfacing arthroplasty: investigation in swine of a prototype partial knee endoprosthesis P Rogala, R Uklejewski, M Winiecki, M Dąbrowski, J Gołańczyk, A Patalas BioMed Research International 2019 (1), 6952649 , 2019 2019 Citations: 17
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Effect of Low-Temperature Oxygen Plasma Treatment of Titanium Alloy Surface on Tannic Acid Coating Deposition M Winiecki, M Stepczyńska, K Moraczewski, L Skowronski, M Trzcinski, ... Materials 17 (5), 1065 , 2024 2024 Citations: 14
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The poroparameters for evaluation of structural-osteoinductive and mechanical properties of bone-implant porous coating interface. Part 1. Theoretical background on the basis … J Mielniczuk, R Uklejewski, M Winiecki, P Rogala Journal of Biomechanics 39 (Suppl.1), S14 , 2006 2006 Citations: 14
The investigation on the microgeometrical constructional properties of porous endoosseous implants and the influence of these properties on the strength of the bone-implant … M Winiecki PhD Thesis, Poznan University of Technology, Faculty of Working Machines and … , 2006 2006 Citations: 14
Structural‐Geometric Functionalization of the Additively Manufactured Prototype of Biomimetic Multispiked Connecting Ti‐Alloy Scaffold for Entirely Noncemented Resurfacing … R Uklejewski, M Winiecki, P Rogala, A Patalas Applied Bionics and Biomechanics 2017 (1), 5638680 , 2017 2017 Citations: 13
Prototype of innovating bone tissue preserving thra endoprosthesis with multi-spiked connecting scaffold manufactured in selective laser melting technology JM Ryszard Uklejewski, Piotr Rogala, Mariusz Winiecki Engineering of Biomaterials 12 (87), 2-6 , 2009 2009 Citations: 13
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Structural and biomechanical biocompatibility in bone-porous implant fixation region-on the basis of two-phase poroelastic biomechanical model of bone tissue R Uklejewski, M Winiecki, P Rogala, J Mielniczuk, A Auguściński, W Stryła Eng. Biomat 10 (69-72), 93-95 , 2007 2007 Citations: 13
The poroaccessibility parameters for three-dimensional characterization of orthopaedic implants porous coatings R Uklejewski, M Winiecki, J Mielniczuk, P Rogala, A Auguściński Metrology and Measurement Systems 15 (2), 215-226 , 2008 2008 Citations: 11
Numerical studies of the influence of various geometrical features of a multispiked connecting scaffold prototype on mechanical stresses in peri-implant bone R Uklejewski, M Winiecki, A Patalas, P Rogala Computer methods in biomechanics and biomedical engineering 21 (9), 541-547 , 2018 2018 Citations: 10
Subchondral Bone Relative Area and Density in Human Osteoarthritic Femoral Heads Assessed with Micro-CT before and after Mechanical Embedding of the Innovative Multi-Spiked … M Dąbrowski, P Rogala, R Uklejewski, A Patalas, M Winiecki, B Gapiński Journal of Clinical Medicine 10 (13), 2937 , 2021 2021 Citations: 9
Modelling of the needle-palisade fixation system for the total hip resurfacing arthroplasty endoprosthesis J Mielniczuk, P Rogala, R Uklejewski, M Winiecki, G Jokś, A Auguściński, ... Vysoká škola báňská-Technická univerzita Ostrava , 2008 2008 Citations: 9
