Lincotek secures patent for customisable additively manufactured orthopaedic screw
March 11, 2025
The Medical Division of Lincotek, headquartered in Rubbiano, Italy, has announced a new patent for an additively manufactured customisable screw with an integrated lattice structure. The patent also covers porous structures designed to promote bone ingrowth and biological fixation to support both short-term stability and long-term osseointegration.
“We are excited to introduce this groundbreaking 3D-printed orthopaedic screw, a true innovation in patient-specific implant application,” says Francesco Buccioti, Head of Global Business and Business Development at the Medical Division of Lincotek. “Lincotek’s R&D team is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of medical technology to develop solutions for our OEM customers that enhance patient outcomes. This novel design offers unparalleled customisation, promoting faster healing and better integration with the patient’s bone—ultimately setting a new standard in orthopaedic care.”
The recently approved patent (US 12,171, 464 B2) describes the component, which features a central shaft that can be customised. This means that the screw’s mechanical properties can be adjusted to the specific needs of a patient’s bone and the given procedure (e.g. surgeries on the spine, sacroiliac joint, avascular necrosis.)
Customisations options include::
- Different thread profiles, such as self-tapping, cortical, or cancellous
- Variable shaft diameters to accommodate different anatomical needs
- Internal channels or features for drug delivery or electrical stimulation
“Finding the right balance between load sharing with host bone, structural stability and facilitating bone ingrowth is the key to a successful implant,” stated Mukesh Kumar, Technology and R&D Director at the Medical Division of Lincotek. “Conventional bone screws are machined out of titanium and have a smoother surface. They have a solid construction with only bone on-growth facilitating recovery – in this case, recovery is entirely dependent on elimination of micro-motion. With our new patented 3D-printed screw, there’s a support system to allow the body to form new bone tissue and evoke bone ingrowth as a means to prevent micro-motion. We feel it will be of great interest for reconstruction applications, as well as hip and spine customers. Our design engineers can tailor the proportions of porous region, threads, shape, and structure to the central shaft to design for the specific bone site.”
The patented design and use of Additive Manufacturing supports both patient-specific implants and scalable mass production, enabling a streamlined manufacturing process without complex assembly, thus reducing clinical risks associated with disassembly.
