Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The practical function and service life of the implant materials are affected by electrochemical dissolution of biomedical metallic materials and corrosion damage caused by attrition interaction.
OBJECTIVE: To review the corrosion resistance of orthopedic implants.
METHODS: A computer-based online search of PubMed database and VIP database was performed for articles related to the corrosion resistance of orthopedic implants, published between January 1995 and October 2011, with the key words of “corrode”, “metal material” and “orthopedic implants” in English and Chinese.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Biomedical metallic materials include stainless steel materials, Magnesian and Magnesium alloys materials, titanium materials and Nitinol. The main problem existing in the application of biomedical metallic materials is that the corrosion of the physical environment will cause metal ions to diffuse into the surrounding tissues and property transformations of the implanted material itself. The former may lead to toxic effects while the latter frequently leads to the failure of the material implantation. Therefore to satisfy the demand of clinical medical applications, first of all, the biomedical metallic materials should have biocompatibility and biological safety; second, they should have good corrosion resistance and mechanical properties.