Special implant coatings to help skin seal around implants and make them last longer
Official title: Surface Induced Epithelial Differentiation Improves Percutaneous Device Longevity
Funded at VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System · NIH-11348015 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Special fluorapatite surface coatings aim to help skin grow and stay attached around devices like dental implants, hearing aids, and bone-anchored prosthetic limbs for amputees.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2021 |
| Project end | April 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX003359-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11348015 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have or plan to receive skin-penetrating implants—such as dental implants, bone-anchored hearing aids, or osseointegrated prosthetic limbs for amputees—would be the most relevant candidates for related future trials or applications.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without skin-penetrating implants or whose implant issues are driven mainly by uncontrolled systemic conditions (for example severe diabetes or immune suppression) may not directly benefit from this specific coating approach.
What this research studies
Many implants that pass through the skin (like dental implants, bone-anchored hearing aids, and osseointegrated prosthetic limbs) can fail because the skin does not heal tightly around the device and bacteria get in. Researchers found that a sintered fluorapatite coating can encourage skin cells to stick down and mature, while also attracting bone and connective tissue cells. This project refines those coatings and tests how well they promote stable skin and tissue attachment, using lab and preclinical models to study how the surface affects healing and infection risk. If the coating performs well in these tests, the next steps would be moving toward clinical use to reduce implant-related complications.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower infections and implant failures so people keep their implants longer and need fewer revision surgeries.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical work from this group showed promising results with sintered fluorapatite improving epidermal adhesion and cell affinity, but clinical use of these coatings is still novel.
Where this research is happening
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VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jeyapalina, Sujee — VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Jeyapalina, Sujee
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.