ABSTRACT
Metallic biomaterials have found abundance of medical applications, such as orthopedic implants and dental implant, and are employed with stainless steels, titanium, and magnesium alloys with good biodegradability and aesthetic properties. The metals and their alloys also play a predominant role as structural biomaterial in orthopedics and non-osseous tissues. In biomaterials, medical engineering devices constantly interact with a variety of materials with varying rigidity and perishability, such as soft brain tissue or hard bone. Biomaterial is specifically designed using the classes of synthetic materials as metallic, polymer, composite, and ceramic. In addition, investigations of mechanical and tribological characteristics of metallic biomaterials are very important parameters. The metallic biomaterials are being transmuted with the idiomatic of biodegradable materials comprising alloys, metallic glasses, and metals. This chapter reviews mainly fabrication techniques (e.g., casting, forging, machining), metallic biomaterials characteristics including microstructural characteristics, surface characteristics, mechanical properties and biological properties, corrosion resistance, and tribological characterization in detail. Finally, the chapter emphasizes the most promising approaches and strategies with analyses and critical challenges for metallic implant biomaterials.
