Comparative Study of Biomechanics and Biocompatibility of Knee Implant Materials

Knee implants have been used to replace damaged cartilage and bone in the tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joints since the 1950s. At least 150 implants are available today, thanks to advances made by physicians and engineers in simulating the geometry and behavior of a healthy knee joint. Several researchers have assessed the biomechanics of knee implant components to evaluate the performance of some knee implant models. Many authors have studied biomechanical factors such as contact stresses, kinematics, and fatigue to validate the quality of knee implants under various loading conditions. Metal alloys have been the materials of choice since the start of orthopedic surgery. Orthopedic materials must fulfill the mechanical, biological and physical necessities of their proposed utilization. Knee joint is the most complex joint in human body gets the discriminating loads in different moving conditions. Accordingly, the material utilized for knee implant assumes exceptionally essential part for long survival of knee prosthesis. The materials that are utilized as biomaterials incorporate polymers, metals, ceramics, and composites. The main objective of the paper is to compare various implant materials based on cost, density, modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, elongation percentage, corrosion resistance, wear resistance and osseointegration.