Titanium is one of the materials which is frequently being considered to have an advantage over other material in the use of implants, since the 1950’s. Various other metals have been considered to be used with titanium to form beneficial alloys. Vanadium may cause several limitations in titanium implants and hence has been removed from medical use. Some of the commonly utilized titanium alloys include Ti-6Al-2Nb-1Ta-0. 8Mo and Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al alloys. They tend to have very good strength, resistance and are better tolerated by the tissues of the body. The alloys also tolerate heat better, and can be used in various situations (JMMC, 2008).
Implant use of metals – Courtesy: http://www. resurfacingofthehip. com/images/Cormetheadandcup. jpg Conclusion The continuous use of biomaterials is to ensure that human health is promoted. Several fields including medicine, technology, engineering and molecular biology, needs to integrate so that greater amounts of innovation can be made in the field of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive and rehabilitative medicine. Currently, the medical materials utilized for drug delivery, implants, cosmetic purposes, or for imaging just seem to provide a peep into the future.
Biomaterials need to possess several characteristics with relation to its strength, toughness, fatigue, fracture toughness, corrosion-resistance, etc. Besides, the biomaterials utilized should also be friendly to the nature to ensure that they may not pose hazards to others (Yokobori, 2004).
Work Cited
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