Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2 mm
6.14
Scanning electron micrograph of porous tantalum developed as
scaffold (courtesy of F.J. Gil Mur).
porosity of trabecular metal supports vascularization and rapid, secure soft
tissue ingrowth. approximately 7000 of these acetabular components have
been implanted in europe since 1997 and no revisions for aseptic loosening
have been reported.
6.6 Conclusions
This chapter has attempted to give an overview of metallic materials used
for bone repair. It is evident that the continuous development of orthopaedic
materials during the 20th century has led to a remarkable improvement in the
quality of life for millions of aged patients. The challenge for this millennium
is the shift from the replacement to the
in situ
regeneration of bone, which
will bring great benefit especially for young patients. Till now it has been
shown that metals are the materials of choice for many structural implantable
device applications and there is no reason to expect a change in the short or
medium term. although initial results with the novel metallic biomaterials
are good, it is worth remembering that in the past some developments led
to clinical failures despite promising short-term results. Thus further clinical
testing and follow-up for most of these materials are needed.
A final consideration of concern is the fact that fabrication of new metallic
materials for surgical implants that have shown promising properties at a
laboratory scale has been traditionally hindered by a conflict of interest
between the manufacturers of the alloys, thinking in terms of production of
tons of material, and the biomaterial companies, whose facilities and benefits
are mostly related to fabrication of components for medical devices using
