Scientists have developed an ultra-flexible bone implant material
The National Research Technological University (NITU) MISiS has developed a new super-elastic alloy to replace bone tissue.
The material is based on titanium, zirconium and niobium. Its physical and mechanical properties are close to those of bone tissue. It could also become the basis for modern orthopedic implants.
Usually, titanium is used for implantation of bone tissue, as it is resistant to the chemical or biological environment of the organism. However, the use of titanium makes the nearby bones more brittle. The alloy created by Russian scientists solves this problem, as it reproduces the behavior of the replaced bone under load.
The scientific team now continues testing to improve technologies that produce the alloy for industrial import replacement applications.
