Titanium alloy: Metallic biomaterials with titanium as the main element, including pure titanium and titanium alloys. Pure titanium has the advantages of non-toxic, light weight, corrosion resistance and good biocompatibility, but its low strength and poor wear resistance are not suitable for large load bearing implant instruments. Titanium alloys have higher strength and better workability compared to pure titanium, including Ti-6Al-4V, V-free titanium alloys such as Ti-5Al-2.5Fe and Ti-6Al-7Nb, and V-free Al-free titanium alloys. This paper focuses on pure titanium and Ti-6Al-4V.
Tantalum: Metallic biomaterial having tantalum as its main element. Tantalum atomic number is 73, high melting point (up to 2 986 ℃), high density (up to 16.65 g/cm3), good toughness, strong corrosion resistance, no reaction with body fluids, good biocompatibility, is an excellent orthopedic material. This paper focuses on bulk tantalum and coated tantalum.
Background: Tantalum and titanium alloys are currently the most widely used orthopedic biomaterials, especially tantalum-based biomaterials, which are favored by clinicians for their excellent corrosion resistance and bone integration. However, there is no conclusive study on whether tantalum-based biomaterials are better than titanium in orthopedic applications.
Objective: To review the literature of comparative study on biological properties of tantalum and titanium (alloy), and to analyze the possible causes of the similarities and differences in the biocompatibility of tantalum and titanium alloy materials in vivo and in vitro.
