Effect of surface topography on the fatigue behavior of additively manufactured Ti6Al4V and CoCr alloys

Powder bed fusion (PBF), including selective laser melting and electron beam melting, fabricates complex, porous, osseointegrative implants for widespread clinical use. Fatigue testing is imperative for predicting long-term strength and durability of rough and surface porous implants while bone remodels around and grows into the implant. This study analyzes different materials (Ti6Al4V and Co28Cr6Mo) with varying topographies including as-printed surface roughness and the addition of a surface porous layer common to implants. The results are compared to wrought and PBF controls that are polished and machined. Moreover, different PBF techniques for titanium result in different as-printed surface roughness (∼0.07–17 μm) and microstructure. The fatigue data demonstrates that the surface finish impact was stronger in Ti6Al4V versus CoCr and SLM Ti6Al4V HIP + surface porous gyroid samples didn't perform worse than the roughest solid sample without surface porosity (EBM Ti6Al4V). With the same mechanical surface finishes, the SLM and wrought Ti6Al4V samples display similar fatigue resistance (800 and 850 MPa respectively), while EBM samples remain inferior (350 MPa). This study provides a foundation to compare fatigue resistance across materials and surface topographies through different fabrication techniques to optimize the lifespan of orthopedic implants while incorporating rough as printed surfaces and added surface porosity, both of which are essential for osseointegration.