Cheaper, tougher, less toxic: new alloys show promise in developing artificial limbs

By Michael Oluwatosin Bodunrin, Senior lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand

Titanium is a strong, resilient and relatively light metal. Its properties have also been well studied; scientists know a great deal about it. All of this makes it the ideal base for fashioning artificial limbs – particularly knees and hips – and teeth. It is less likely than other metals to rust and, as research has shown, it is more compatible with the human body than, for instance, stainless steels and cobalt based materials.

But there’s a major problem: titanium is not cheap. Precise…

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