In vivo and in vitro studies of the stress-corrosion cracking behavior of surgical implant alloys

Abstract

Behavior of implant alloys exposed simultaneously to tensile stresses and corrosion environments has been examined. In the in vivo studies, a stainless steel and a titanium alloy exhibited cracklike features when loaded to the yield stress sigma y and implanted for 16 weeks. A cobalt-chromium alloy stressed beyond sigma y exhibited them in plastically deformed areas. A cobalt-chromium-nickel-molybdenum alloy appeared to be immune. In vitro samples loaded to various stress levels were immersed in Ringer's solution at 37 degrees C. Half of them were subjected to applied anodic potentials; the remaining control group was not. The applied potentials were dc potentials of magnitude similar to those generated by bioelectric effects. No attempt was made to duplicate time dependence or wave forms. Cracklike features were observed in the stainless steel and in the titanium alloy loaded to or beyond sigma y and polarized for 38 weeks. None were observed below sigma y. For the controls, no cracklike features were observed at any stress level after 53 1/2 weeks. Polarization measurements and potential versus time measurements were performed to study possible mechanisms for crack propagation. These investigations suggest that the in vivo corrosion environment is more severe than a 37 degrees C Ringer's solution because of the influence of both bioelectric effects and organic constituents. The implications of these studies for the performance of prosthetic devices is discussed.