When a bone in the body has to be replaced, the best material to use is a type of metal. The environment inside your body is not ideal for any sort of metal though - metals corrode and rust. Some metals also cause an allergic reaction.
Many prosthetics these days contain Titanium, as it has a good strength to density ratio. Titanium is also strong, tough, resists corrosion, and is biologically compatible (it doesn't cause allergic reactions). It can be strengthened by alloying it with other elements like aluminium or vanadium. These alloys are used in hip and knee joint replacements, dental implants, and pacemaker cases. It is also used in procedures where the metal is allowes to join the surrounding tissue (see a recent entry in my sister blog).
Many prosthetics these days contain Titanium, as it has a good strength to density ratio. Titanium is also strong, tough, resists corrosion, and is biologically compatible (it doesn't cause allergic reactions). It can be strengthened by alloying it with other elements like aluminium or vanadium. These alloys are used in hip and knee joint replacements, dental implants, and pacemaker cases. It is also used in procedures where the metal is allowes to join the surrounding tissue (see a recent entry in my sister blog).
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