Bio-Medical Materials in Human Joint Implants - A Review

Since the introduction of aseptic surgery by Lister towards the end of the eighteenth century, engineering materials have been implanted into the human body in many forms. Implant surgery has developed to the extent that implants are now used in most branches of surgery and are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. Orthopaedic surgery probably uses more implants than any other branch of medicine. Fracture fixation being one of the oldest and most common applications. This literature review tries to inclusively summarize the recent development in bio-medical materials and its applications in human joint implants up to year 2010.