Metal implants and surface reactions.

Abstract

A metal in living tissue is prone to corrosion. The interaction of the foreign body with the tissue involves the redox reaction (an electron exchange) at the interface, the hydrolysis (a proton exchange) of oxide-hydrates as products of corrosion, and the formation of metal-organic complexes in the electrolyte. Denatured tissue in contact with the foreign body is the consequence. But behaviour of metals is variable; gold, stainless steel and most other metals react as described while few others like titanium and tantalum do not. The absence of a foreign body effect of a chemical kind is, without doubt, favorable in terms of tissue susceptibility to infection in the presence of titanium.