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V. S. Simi et al.
Biomaterials and medical devices have evolved over the last 50 (or) so years to a $100
billion endeavor [2]. From the past few decades, due to the increase in the participation
of many persons in defense activities, sports, utilization of self-operating machines,
and increased interest in motorcycles has resulted in enormous increase in the number
of accidents, which necessarily led people to opt for orthopaedic implants [3].
In orthopaedics, the biomaterial devices used are commonly called as implants and
are manufactured for a great number in orthopaedic applications. An adequate level
of tolerance of the material with the living organism i.e. biocompatibility is essential
to successfully apply an implant in the human body. Despite the success of traditional materials, new and innovative biomaterials are being developed continuously
to satisfy the ever increasing demands.
2 Material Choice for Biomedical Implants
The selection of suitable materials for orthopaedic implants relies on the specific
applications. The material used as an implant should have the desired balance of
both physical and mechanical properties necessary to perform as expected in the
human body. Also, the device should be relatively easy to fabricate, consistent, reproducible, and confirm to all technical and biological requirements [4]. Over the past
few decades, a wide range of materials such as metals, ceramics, polymers, composites and biologically derived materials are commonly used in orthopaedic implants
as the different physical, chemical, and biological properties that these materials
possess can cater to specific applications [5–9]. While traditional materials such as
stainless steel, Co-based alloys, Titanium and its alloys are constantly modified to be
more effective biomaterials, resulting in improved medical devices, new materials
continued to be explored as alternatives [10].
3 Titanium-Based Biomaterials
In the current scenario, titanium and its alloys are extensively used in biomedical
field and have a good record of being used as a successful implant material due
to the metal’s exceptional properties. Titanium- based biomaterials are inert and
proven to be superior in terms of biocompatibility and corrosion resistance than
Co-Cr and stainless steel alloys, hence becoming the material choice by most of
the clinicians, material scientist, surgeons and medical device designers [11]. The
implant applications of titanium included replacement of hard tissue in artificial
bones, joints, cardiovascular implants like prosthetic heart valves, pacemaker cases,
circulatory devices, dental implants, screws and staples for spinal surgery [12]. They
are preferred materials for load- bearing and long term implants and reveal high
mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, they are bio inert, thus could
not directly bond to living bone tissues [13, 14].
V. S. Simi et al.
Biomaterials and medical devices have evolved over the last 50 (or) so years to a $100
billion endeavor [2]. From the past few decades, due to the increase in the participation
of many persons in defense activities, sports, utilization of self-operating machines,
and increased interest in motorcycles has resulted in enormous increase in the number
of accidents, which necessarily led people to opt for orthopaedic implants [3].
In orthopaedics, the biomaterial devices used are commonly called as implants and
are manufactured for a great number in orthopaedic applications. An adequate level
of tolerance of the material with the living organism i.e. biocompatibility is essential
to successfully apply an implant in the human body. Despite the success of traditional materials, new and innovative biomaterials are being developed continuously
to satisfy the ever increasing demands.
2 Material Choice for Biomedical Implants
The selection of suitable materials for orthopaedic implants relies on the specific
applications. The material used as an implant should have the desired balance of
both physical and mechanical properties necessary to perform as expected in the
human body. Also, the device should be relatively easy to fabricate, consistent, reproducible, and confirm to all technical and biological requirements [4]. Over the past
few decades, a wide range of materials such as metals, ceramics, polymers, composites and biologically derived materials are commonly used in orthopaedic implants
as the different physical, chemical, and biological properties that these materials
possess can cater to specific applications [5–9]. While traditional materials such as
stainless steel, Co-based alloys, Titanium and its alloys are constantly modified to be
more effective biomaterials, resulting in improved medical devices, new materials
continued to be explored as alternatives [10].
3 Titanium-Based Biomaterials
In the current scenario, titanium and its alloys are extensively used in biomedical
field and have a good record of being used as a successful implant material due
to the metal’s exceptional properties. Titanium- based biomaterials are inert and
proven to be superior in terms of biocompatibility and corrosion resistance than
Co-Cr and stainless steel alloys, hence becoming the material choice by most of
the clinicians, material scientist, surgeons and medical device designers [11]. The
implant applications of titanium included replacement of hard tissue in artificial
bones, joints, cardiovascular implants like prosthetic heart valves, pacemaker cases,
circulatory devices, dental implants, screws and staples for spinal surgery [12]. They
are preferred materials for load- bearing and long term implants and reveal high
mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, they are bio inert, thus could
not directly bond to living bone tissues [13, 14].