Titanium has a long list of positive characteristics that many different industries can take advantage of today. May it be in the field of architecture, aerospace, marine, or automotive, titanium possesses attributes that make it the top choice for these industries.
Why is titanium the metal of choice for various medical applications?
- The medical field has also found several uses for titanium. So what makes titanium a good metal for medical applications?
- The following are just some of the reasons why titanium is beneficial in various medical processes:
- This metal is strong. Despite being lightweight, titanium is durable, heavy-duty, and long-lasting.
- Titanium has high resistance to corrosion. It can be exposed to water, acids, and other liquids without being damaged and degraded.
- It is cost-efficient. Even though titanium is not exactly the cheapest metal around today, its many benefits make up for its cost, especially in the long run.
- It is biocompatible, meaning it is non-toxic and does not get rejected by the human body when used in implants and other medical procedures.
- It is flexible and elastic.
- It is long-lasting. Titanium plates, tubes, rods, pins, and cages inserted into a person’s body can last for more than two decades.
- It is non-ferromagnetic, so patients with titanium implants can safely undergo NMRIs and MRIs.
- What are examples of medical titanium products used in surgeries and other procedures?
Nowadays, patients who need to replace a shoulder joint, hip socket, or broken bone can go through an orthopedic surgical operation so that medical grade titanium products can be inserted into his or her body. The following are examples of these medical grade titanium products:
Screws, bars, posts, wires, pins, rods, bone plates, posts, maxio-facial prosthetics, finger replacements, toe replacements, spinal fusion cages, and expandable rib cages.
Moreover, there are also titanium surgical devices created and used today to perform surgeries, including:
Surgical tweezers, scissors, dental scalers, dental drills, surgical forceps, vena cava clips, suture instruments, retractors, and laser electrodes.