In Vitro Corrosion Assessment of Additively Manufactured Porous NiTi Structures for Bone Fixation Applications

Abstract

NiTi alloys possess distinct functional properties (i.e., shape memory effect and superelasticity) and biocompatibility, making them appealing for bone fixation applications. Additive manufacturing offers an alternative method for fabricating NiTi parts, which are known to be very difficult to machine using conventional manufacturing methods. However, poor surface quality, and the presence of impurities and defects, are some of the major concerns associated with NiTi structures manufactured using additive manufacturing. The aim of this study is to assess the in vitro corrosion properties of additively manufactured NiTi structures. NiTi samples (bulk and porous) were produced using selective laser melting (SLM), and their electrochemical corrosion characteristics and Ni ion release levels were measured and compared with conventionally fabricated NiTi parts. The additively manufactured NiTi structures were found to have electrochemical corrosion characteristics similar to those found for the conventionally fabricated NiTi alloy samples. The highest Ni ion release level was found in the case of 50% porous structures, which can be attributed to their significantly higher exposed surface area. However, the Ni ion release levels reported in this work for all the fabricated structures remain within the range of most of values for conventionally fabricated NiTi alloys reported in the literature. The results of this study suggest that the proposed SLM fabrication process does not result in a significant deterioration in the corrosion resistance of NiTi parts, making them suitable for bone fixation applications.