The environmental stability of boron-containing titanium alloys for biomedical applications

Musculoskeletal and craniofacial implants, and their interactions with the human body, are a very important area of medicine today. Aging populations and rapidly escalating health care costs make the study of implant-body interactions increasingly urgent. One of the major impediments to long-term durability of implant materials is the issue of aseptic loosening, i.e., inflammatory response against the prosthetic metal and metal debris produced by its corrosion. In this research summary, we discuss the corrosion behavior of a new class of boron-containing titanium alloys in physiologically relevant media. In addition, the suitability of these alloys from a mechanical perspective will also be discussed along with implications for alloy design.