Titanium is usually used to make implants for dental surgery but has more recently been used instead of stainless steel for other medical uses, such as hip implants. Pure titanium and titanium-base alloys are known to be the various corrosion resistant and biocompatible of all implant materials in the body. Pure titanium is optionally used for hip cup shells with polyethylene inserts. This is also used to produce heart valves and bone screws. Its main benefit, when used to fix bones, is that it can combine with bone and is extremely strong but lighter than most alloys.
Despite being erosion-resistant and incredibly strong, titanium plates can lead to bone embrittlement once bones are recovered as the material is significantly more stringent than bone. Last year scientists in Japan developed titanium fibre plates that are safer than conventional titanium plates when used to support broken bones.
