Corrosion and mechanical properties

This paper is intended to give a brief introduction to the corrosion and mechanical properties of materials used in orthopaedic and trauma applications. The human body is a harsh and hostile environment. As scientists and clinicians we expect to place a material within the biological environment, subject it to a complex mix of mechanical and chemical degradation whilst existing in-vivo with no further complication. Most engineering materials (i.e. metals, ceramics and polymers) placed into a biological environment will degrade, negatively impacting the performance of the device or implant, but more so impacting the local biological viability. This paper will focus on the corrosion and mechanical properties of metallic materials. The basic principles of electrochemical corrosion, methods of measurement, corrosion classification, the impact of combined mechanical and electrochemical processes and implications in-vivo will be explored. The current contemporary thinking in the area of orthopaedics will be introduced.