Particulate-reinforced Titanium Composites for Orthopaedic Implants

Abstract

In the present study, to enhance the strength of porous pure titanium scaffolds with high porosity, new particulate-reinforced Ti-based composites with the addition of biocompatible oxide particles such as TiO2, SiO2, ZrO2 and Nb2O5 were prepared using a powder metallurgical method. The strengths of the new particulate-reinforced titanium composites were found to be significantly higher than that of pure titanium with an excellent biocompatibility. SaOS-2 osteoblast-like cells grew and spread well on the surfaces of the new particulate-reinforced titanium composites. The present study illustrated the feasibility of using the particulate-reinforced titanium composites as an orthopaedic implant material.