What is it about?
Hip joint replacement is a major achievement in orthopaedic surgery in the 20th century. Scientific research and experiments with a large number of human body part implants are carried out. Medicine, mechanical engineering, chemistry, biology, physics, and material science have created particular divisions and branches intended to investigate implants. The synergy of medicine, biochemistry, biophysics, mechanical engineering, materials science, and informatics succeeds in the development of real progress in orthopedic surgery of hip joint implants. Among others, the quality of the materials used and material science, in general, are involved in achievements in this interdisciplinary field. Therefore, this scientific field with respect to hip joint implants is discussed and considered in this article. Most parts of hip joint implants are made of metallic materials due to heavy and cyclic load bearing. Additionally, they work in a bioactive environment.
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Why is it important?
Recently, several millions of hip joint replacements are made per year. This article is a review of important material requirements for hip biomaterials including their response to the body environment compatibility, mechanical properties, wear resistance, fretting corrosion and availability as well as the price. The application of proper biomaterials for hip implants is one of the major focal points in this article. Background information is also provided on metals used in other prosthetic devices and implant components. Metals and their alloys are crystalline materials since their properties depend on the crystal lattice, chemical and phase compositions, grain size, lattice defects, crystalline texture and residual micro and macro-stresses. All these features of biomaterials are formed during technological manufacturing, such as metallurgical process, solidification, plastic deformation (rolling and forging), machining, heat treatment and coating. All these technological processes work in optimal conditions in order to achieve the optimal microstructure and mechanical, chemical and biological properties.
Perspectives
Problems which are concerned in this paper are important because hip implants replacement is very common. Knowledge of materials used for implants and required properties are important in the proper selection of material by physicians and is important for patients for better self-feeling. Understanding of currently used different materials is important for the development of new materials in the future with higher biocompatibility, higher reliability and improved mechanical properties and wear resistance.
prof.dr hab.inż. Stanislaw Jan Skrzypek
Akademia Gorniczo-Hutnicza im Stanislawa Staszica w Krakowie
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Biomaterials for hip implants – important considerations relating to the choice of materials, Bio-Algorithms and Med-Systems, January 2017, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/bams-2017-0017.
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