ABSTRACT
Metals are used as surgical implants in the human body for two main applications: for orthopedic purposes, they are chosen for the prosthetic replacement of natural joints such as hips, knees, elbows, shoulders, ankles, and fingers, as well as for internal fixation of bone fractures such as osteosyntheses plates, bone nails and screws, and bone rods or wires. Metallic biomaterials are the material of choice for angioplasty stents, pacemaker leads and cases, surgical clips, and staples, and are also often selected in dental applications.
