Corrosion fatigue of surgical stainless steel in synthetic physiological solution

Fatigue tests conducted both in air and synthetic physiological solution show that the fatigue strength of surgical stainless steel in synthetic physiological solution is about 10% lower than the strength in air for a given endurance level. It is proposed that surgical stainless steel which is normally passive in physiological solution suffers corrosion fatigue because of susceptibility to crevice corrosion which occurs at extrusions and intrusions (crevices) on the surface thereby shortening the crack initiation time and the fatigue life.