Skeletal Implants: From Metals, to Polymers, to Ceramics

Abstract

Skeletal implants, as used in orthopaedic or traumatic surgery, must firstly be “functional”, i.e. able to successfully restore in an active or a passive way the physiological functions of the tissue, organ, or body part surgically replaced. Secondly, they must be very “durable”, i.e. able to sustain all external or internal loads without fracturing; they must be able to transfer these loads to surrounding bone and/or soft tissues and to give rise to permanent implant fixation without causing any bone fracture; and they must have sufficient wear resistance for articulating surfaces.