Enhanced Biocompatibility of Porous Nitinol

Porous Nitinol (PNT) has found vast applications in the medical industry as interbody fusion devices, synthetic bone grafts, etc. However, the tendency of the PNT to corrode is anticipated to be greater as compared to solid nitinol since there is a larger surface area in contact with body fluids. In such cases, surface preparation is known to play a major role in a material’s biocompatibility. In an effort to check the effect of surface treatments on the in vitro corrosion properties of PNT, in this investigation, they were subjected to different surface treatments such as boiling in water, dry heating, and passivation. The localized corrosion resistance of alloys before and after each treatment was evaluated in phosphate buffer saline solution (PBS) using cyclic polarization tests in accordance with ASTM F 2129-08.