In vivo study of stainless steel and Ti-13Nb-13Zr bone plates in a sheep model

• Published in: Clinical orthopaedics and related research no. 343; p. 213
• Main Authors: Seligson, D, Mehta, S, Mishra, A K, FitzGerald, T J, Castleman, D W, James, A H, Voor, M J, Been, J, Nawab, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1997
• Subjects: Alloys - chemistry; Animals; Bacterial Adhesion; Bone Plates; Bone Screws; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry, Physical; Color; Diffusion; Disease Models, Animal; Equipment Contamination; Femur - physiopathology; Femur - surgery; Fracture Fixation, Internal - instrumentation; Granuloma, Foreign-Body - etiology; Incidence; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetics; Materials Testing; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Osteotomy - instrumentation; Osteotomy - methods; Sheep; Stainless Steel - chemistry; Stress, Mechanical; Surface Properties; Surgical Wound Infection - etiology; Titanium - chemistry; Torque
• ISSN: 0009-921X; 1528-1132
• DOI: 10.1097/00003086-199710000-00032

A sheep study was performed to compare the in vivo performance of bone plates of 316L stainless steel and a new titanium alloy, titanium + 13% niobium + 13% zirconium (Ti-13Nb-13Zr), which had been subjected to a diffusion hardening treatment to produce a blue, wear resistant surface. Bone plates and screws of stainless steel and diffusion hardened Ti-13Nb-13Zr were implanted in adult sheep, in one group (with unosteotomized femurs) for 16 weeks, and in the other (with osteotomized femurs) for 8 weeks. At harvest, the diffusion hardened Ti-13Nb-13Zr devices had superior fixation strength, with greater screw torque out strength and fewer loose screws. In the osteotomized animals, the femurs with diffusion hardened Ti-13Nb-13Zr plates had higher torsional strength after removal of the implants; however, the difference was not statistically significant. In the unosteotomized animals, the torsional strength of the femurs was identical for both materials. There was a slightly reduced incidence of infection (bacterial adhesion) for the sheep with diffusion hardened Ti-13Nb-13Zr implants. In a parallel in vitro study, the magnetic resonance imaging compatibility of Ti-13Nb-13Zr was significantly superior to that of stainless steel. This indicates that diffusion hardened Ti-13Nb-13Zr may be an attractive alternative material for osteosynthesis.