Biomedical materials represent a critical branch of materials science, serving as advanced carrier materials with high technological content and economic value for diagnosing, treating, or replacing human tissues and organs, as well as enhancing their functions. This field is an emerging area within materials science and technology, poised to make greater contributions to exploring the mysteries of life and ensuring human health and longevity.
Among biomedical metal materials, titanium and its alloys have become the preferred choice for medical implants—such as artificial joints (hip, knee, shoulder, ankle, elbow, wrist, finger joints, etc.), bone trauma products (intramedullary nails, plates, screws, etc.), spinal correction and internal fixation systems, dental implants, dentures, orthodontic wires, artificial heart valves, and interventional cardiovascular stents—due to their excellent comprehensive properties. Currently, no superior metal material to titanium alloys exists for clinical applications. With a global population of nearly 6.5 billion, incomplete statistics indicate approximately 400 million people with disabilities, including 60 million with limb impairments and 2 billion with dental diseases. However, only 35 million individuals have received biomedical device implants to date. Annual joint replacements number around 1.5 million, far below the actual demand. Thus, the market potential for biomedical materials is immense, and the demand for titanium and its alloys, as the preferred biomedical metal materials, is set to grow significantly.
Advantages of Titanium Alloys in Medical Devices:
Lightweight: Reduces damage to blood vessels, muscles, and organs during surgery, alleviating surgeon fatigue. Titanium instruments are particularly suited for delicate microsurgery.
Excellent corrosion resistance and non-toxicity: Prevents rusting of equipment, reduces wound infection risks, and promotes faster healing.
Moderate elasticity: Ideal for manufacturing medical forceps, tweezers, microsurgical blades, and other instruments.
Low reflectivity: Titanium’s minimal glare under shadowless lights makes it more suitable than stainless steel for surgical procedures.
Applications of Medical Titanium Alloys:
Orthopedic Implants:
Include artificial hip joints, knee joints, and spinal internal fixation systems. Porous titanium alloy interbody fusion devices can achieve 60-80% porosity with pore sizes of 150-600μm, facilitating bone ingrowth. 3D printing technology enables precise replication of patient CT data, producing personalized implants with over 95% anatomical matching.
Cardiovascular Devices:
Used in manufacturing artificial heart valve stents and vascular stents. Ti-6Al-4V alloy stents can be processed to a wall thickness of 80μm with a support strength exceeding 10N/mm². Novel β-titanium alloys (e.g., Ti-15Mo-5Zr) demonstrate improved anticoagulation properties, reducing stent restenosis rates to below 5% .
Dental Restoration:
Commercially pure titanium (TA1/TA2) is used for dental implant roots, achieving a bone-binding strength of 50MPa, surpassing the 35MPa of hydroxyapatite coatings. Ti-Zr alloy implants show a five-year survival rate of 97.3%, outperforming traditional titanium alloys’ 94.1%.
With their combined advantages of biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and manufacturing flexibility, medical titanium alloys have become an indispensable material cornerstone of modern healthcare. From orthopedics to cardiovascular applications, and from standardized components to personalized implants, their continued expansion highlights the profound impact of material innovation on human health. As technology evolves and clinical needs deepen, medical titanium alloys will undoubtedly deliver even greater performance, writing new chapters for the medical industry and supporting humanity’s pursuit of higher-quality life.
