ABSTRACT
In recent years, the need for orthopedic implants has been continuously increasing in order to improve the health of people worldwide. Depending on their applications, these implant devices can be classified into two categories: permanent and temporary. In this chapter, we will first introduce different classes of materials of the former group and discuss their pros and cons. Then, we will introduce temporary devices, focusing on magnesium and its alloys. This class of materials appears to be particularly attractive for load-bearing implant devices due to its excellent biological and mechanical compatibility. However, these materials possess some drawbacks that hinder their deployment for such applications. An overview of these drawbacks will be given in this chapter, with a particular focus on the pitfalls in strength and corrosion characterizing magnesium and its alloys when subjected to an aggressive physiological environment. Finally, the structure of the remainder of the book is outlined, briefly introducing the content of each chapter.
