Tribocorrosion of Metallic Biomaterials under Simulated Inflammation Conditions: Current Status and Future Prospects

Metallic biomaterials are widely employed in orthopedic, dental, and other clinical applications. Tribocorrosion is the combined effect of mechanical wear and corrosion and hence has become one of the crucial limitations of metallic biomaterials. The tribocorrosion of metallic biomaterials can release metal ions and wear debris into bodily fluids, leading to inflammatory reactions in the human body. Inflammatory mediators from the immune cells, for example, reactive oxygen species and acids, can further influence the tribocorrosion process and accelerate the failure of the implanted prosthesis, thereby aggravating this issue. This study aims to provide an overview of recent investigations on the tribocorrosion of metallic biomaterials under simulated inflammation conditions. Also, the recent advances in improving the tribocorrosion performance of metallic biomaterials in inflammatory environments are summarized. Finally, the challenges and future developments in this field are proposed and highlighted.