Biomedical devices

This chapter presents a broad overview of the fretting-corrosion mechanisms and observations pertaining to implantable biomedical devices. Fretting corrosion is a persistent issue faced by biomedical engineers and has been implicated in higher than acceptable revision rates owing to adverse biological reactions to metal debris and ions. Firstly, commonly used biomedical materials and the biological environment are introduced and discussed. The mechanisms of fretting corrosion in relation to the interfacial contact mechanics are discussed in detail. Finally, practical examples of fretting-corrosion and the implications of fretting corrosion from a biological perspective are discussed.