Corrosion of Biomedical Implant Materials

Abstract

Corrosion behavior of the most important metallic materials – mainly used in orthopaedic implants – is summarized. A focus of this review is on the comparison of the susceptibility of the different alloys (especially Ti base alloys and Co-Cr alloys) to corrosion. A short discussion on influence of surface modification on the corrosion performance of biomaterials is included. Critical factors to be considered in the experimental investigation of the corrosion behavior in view of the biomedical applications are summarized. Recent investigations on the possible exploitation of materials with a low corrosion resistance for biodegradable implants are summarized.