We use Chromium Cobalt alloys for hip replacement and bio implants because of wear and corrosion resistance. Hypothetically, if the alloy starts eroding because of the physical or chemical changes in the implanted patient’s body. What could be the remedies for that situation?

Corrosion of the metals used in artificial hips have been linked to metallosis, or metal poisoning. Symptoms include bone and tissue death, implant failure and severe pain. It has been found that Every biological environment has a redox (reduction-oxidation) strength that changes with physical activity. the implant material made of cobalt, chromium and molybdenum corroded at high voltages, whereas the other alloy material made of titanium, aluminum, and vanadium remained stable under the same conditions. Also, Boron is a non-toxic element that in trace amounts can aid in bone maintenance and growth. None of the boron-containing alloys failed the ASTM F2129, the standard corrosion test for small implants. In addition, the boron-containing alloys elicited a lower level of inflammatory response as measured by lower levels of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) being secreted. IL-1β is one of the inflammatory cytokines that could provide insights into long-term implant compatibility.

It has been found out that some of the boron-containing alloys had outstanding corrosion behavior and excellent mechanical properties.