ABSTRACT

Metals have found successful application in the field of orthopaedics as prosthetic and fracture fixation devices because of their biocompatibility, good mechanical properties, sufficient corrosion resistance, and manufacturability at a reasonable cost. The earliest written record of a metal being used as a surgical fixation device was in 1565 when Petronius recommended repairing cleft palates with gold plates (1). In 1666, Fabricius described the use of gold, bronze, and iron wires in studies of tissue tolerance of metals and concluded that platinum was the best tolerated metal (2). Bell tried a variety of materials such as gold, silver, and platinum alloys in dental applications in the early 1800s (2). In 1829, Levert studied the tissue tolerance of a variety of metals and also concluded that platinum was the best tissue compatible metal (1).