Incorporation of stainless steel, titanium and Vitallium in bone

Operative trauma, implant instability and corrosion are recognized as aetiological factors in the production of the soft-tissue capsule often present round a metal implant in bone. In the present experimental study, the isolated effect of corrosion was evaluated under standardized experimental conditions when operative trauma was minimal and implant movement was negligible. The reaction of bone to stainless steel, titanium and Vitallium was studied by histological and biomechanical methods, and compared to that provoked by copper. No soft-tissue capsule was found round the modern materials, but copper gave rise to a marked tissue reaction. It is concluded that a traumatic operative techniques and implant immobility are more effective for stable incorporation of metallic implants in bone than the nature of the implant itself, provided that one of the modern, low-corrosive metals or alloys is used.