As a larger elderly human population is expected worldwide in the next 30 years, the occurrence of aging-associated illnesses will also be increased. The use of prosthetic devices by this population is currently important and will be even more dramatic in the near future. Hence, the design of prosthetic devices able to reduce some of the problems associated with the use of current components, such as stress shielding, reduced mobility, infection, discomfort, etc., becomes relevant. The use of additive manufacturing (AM) and the design fabrication of self-supported cellular structures in the biomedical area have opened up important opportunities for controlling the physical and mechanical properties of hip implants, resulting in specific benefits for the patients. Different studies have reported the development of hip prosthetic designs employing AM, although there are still opportunities for improvement when it comes to customized design and tuning of the physical and mechanical properties of such implants. This work shows the design and manufacture by AM of a personalized stainless-steel partial hip implant using tomography data and self-supported triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) cell structures; the design considers dimensional criteria established by international standards. By employing tomography data, the external dimensions of the implant were established and the bone density of a specific patient was calculated; the density and mechanical properties in compression of the implant were modulated by employing an internal gyroid-type cell structure. Using such a cell structure, the patient’s bone density was emulated; also, the mechanical properties of the implant were fine-tuned in order to make them comparable to those reported for the bone tissue replaced by the prosthesis. The implant design and manufacturing methodology developed in this work considered the clinical condition of a specific patient and can be reproduced and adjusted for different types of bone tissue qualities for specific clinical requirements.

The thermal spraying process is a surface treatment which does not adversely affect the base metal on which it is performed. The coatings obtained by HVOF thermal spray are employed in aeronautics, aerospace, and power generation industries. Alloys and coatings designed to resist oxidizing environments at high temperatures should be able to develop a surface oxide layer, which is thermodynamically stable, slowly growing, and adherent. MCrAlY type (M = Co, Ni or combination of both) coatings are used in wear and corrosion applications but also provide protection against high temperature oxidation and corrosion attack in molten salts. In this investigation, CoNiCrAlY coatings were produced employing a HVOF DJH 2700 gun. The work presented here focuses on the influences of process parameters of a gas-drive HVOF system on the microstructure, adherence, wear, and oxygen content of CoNiCrAlY. The results showed that spray distance significantly affects the properties of CoNiCrAlY coatings.