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Titanium and Titanium Alloys as Key Experts

Biomaterials Hywel Jones

Darren Swinson
Chemical Formula
Books - Maney Publishing
Ti and Ti6Al4V Materials Research Innovations

Books - Woodhead Publishing

Topics Covered
Surface Engineering of Light
Background Alloys: Aluminium, Magnesium
Physiological Behaviour and Titanium Alloys - Woodhead
Publishing
Mechanical Suitability
Books ASM
Applications
Orthopaedic Implants Handbook of Materials for Medical
Devices
Dental Applications
Books Taylor & Francis
Background Titanium Alloys: An Atlas of
Structures and Fracture Features
Titanium and some of its alloys are used as biomaterials
for dental and orthopaedic applications. The most Ads by Google
common grades used are commercially pure titanium and Calcium Phosphate
the Ti6Al4V alloy, derived from aerospace applications. Powders, Solids, Coatings for
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Physiological Behaviour

These materials are classified as biologically inert LATEST ARTICLES

biomaterials or bioinert. As such, they remain essentially Aerospace Industry - Test

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unchanged when implanted into human bodies. This is no Industry by Mecmesin
doubt a result of their excellent corrosion resistance.
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The human body is able to recognise these materials as Solutions for the Automotive
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foreign, and tries to isolate them by encasing them in
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fibrous tissues. However, they do not illicit any adverse of Peel or Adhesion Testers and
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Furthermore, they do not induce allergic reactions such
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as has been observed on occasion with some stainless Guide to Selecting the Right
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The surface of titanium is often modified by coating it Quality Carburizing Steel by
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with hydroxyapatite. Plasma spraying is the only
commercially accepted technique for depositing such
coatings. The hydroxyapatite provides a bioactive surface
(i.e. it actively participates in bone bonding), such that
bone cements and other mechanical fixation devices are
often not required.

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Titanium and Titanium Alloys as Biomaterials http://www.azom.com/Details.asp?ArticleID=1520

Mechanical Suitability

Titanium and its alloys possess suitable mechanical

properties such as strength, bend strength and fatigue
resistance to be used in orthopaedics and dental
applications. This is part of the reason why they have
been employed in load-bearing biomedical applications in
stead of materials such as hydroxyapatite, which displays
bioactive behaviour.

Other specific properties that make it a desirable

biomaterial are density and elastic modulus. In terms of
density, it has a significantly lower density (table 1) than
other metallic biomaterials, meaning that the implants
will be lighter than similar items fabricated out of
stainless steel or cobalt chrome alloys.

Table 1. Densities of selected biomaterials and cortical

bone.

Material Density Elastic

Modulus

Cortical Bone ~2.0 g.cm-3 7-30

Cobalt-Chrome ~8.5 g.cm-3 230
alloy
316L Stainless 8.0 g.cm-3 200
Steel
CP Titanium 4.51 g.cm-3 110
Ti6Al4V 4.40 g.cm-3 106

Having a lower elastic modulus compared to the other

metals is desirable as the metal tends to behave a little
bit more like bone itself, which is desirable from a
biomechanical perspective. This property means that the
bone hosting the biomaterial is less likely to atrophy and
resorb.

Applications

Orthopaedic Implants

Titanium is commonly used in orthopaedic implants such

as joint replacements and bone pins, plates and screws.

Figure 1 shows the various components of a total hip

replacement. On the left is the femoral stem made of a
titanium alloy. The long round section fits down into the
thigh bone or femur. The white section is a
hydroxyapatite coating to encourage bone bonding to the
implant. This section is also macrotextured to provide
surface features for the bone to mechanically interlock
with. The ball on top of the femoral stem is called the
femoral head. It is made of zirconia ceramic and fits into
the hip joint in the pelvis.

The hemispherical item on the right is the acetabular

cup, also made from titanium alloy. It is coated in a
porous alumina ceramic, to allow bone ingrowth for
stabilisation. A ultra high molecular weight polyethylene
(UHMWPE) liner fits inside the acetabular cup and
provides the articulating surface for the femoral head.

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Titanium and Titanium Alloys as Biomaterials http://www.azom.com/Details.asp?ArticleID=1520

Figure 1. Implant components for a total hip

replacement (photo courtesy of Dr. Karlis Gross).

Figure 2 shows a prototype total knee replacement

prosthesis, similar in design to many commercial
implants. It consists of titanium alloy upper and lower
structural components. A zirconia wear surface has been
fabricated for the upper section. Similar to the hip
prosthesis, this articulates against a UHMWPE insert on
the lower section.

Figure 2. A total knee replacement prosthesis (photo

courtesy of Dr. Besim Ben-Nissan).

Other orthopaedic applications for titanium-based

materials include bone pins, plates and screws, used for
repairing broken bones etc.

Dental Applications

Titanium pins and posts are used to secure dental

implants. They use threaded fixtures to secure them into
the jaw.

Titanium superstructures are now being investigated as

an alternative to other metals such as gold for implants
such as polymer based dentures (figure 3).

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Titanium and Titanium Alloys as Biomaterials http://www.azom.com/Details.asp?ArticleID=1520

Figure 3. Side view of a superplastically-formed,

titanium alloy, cantilevered superstructure, attached to
dental plaster analogues in a plaster model of a
patients jaw.

Source: AZoM.com

Date Added: Jul 15, 2002

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