Surface modification of medical metals by ion implantation of silver and copper

Implant related infections remain a concern in modern surgery. Surface modification is an effective way to reduce the occurrence of these complications. Of various techniques, ion implantation shows promise. In the present work, silver and copper were ion implanted separately, into three typical medical metals, namely 317L stainless steel, titanium, and Ti–Al–Nb by a MEVVA ion source machine at various ion doses. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of silver and copper ion implantation on antibacterial performance and wear and corrosion resistance of the three materials. Antibacterial activity of silver- and copper-implanted samples against Staphylococcus aureus were assessed by the plate-counting method. The results show that silver and copper implantation improves the antibacterial rate and wear performance of all the three metals studied. It is also found that silver ion implantation does not change the corrosion resistance while the corrosion resistance of copper-implanted samples shows a significant decline. In conclusion, silver ion implantation is favorable to copper ion implantation for increasing the antibacterial nature of these three metals.