Investigating tribocorrosion in medical implants

Tribocorrosion is a physical process in which mechanical and corrosive wear act simultaneously. Unfortunately, it is largely diffused in medical applications such as hip, knee and dental prostheses whose effects may be severe and dangerous for the longevity of the devices as well as for human health. The phenomenon is strongly influenced by several variables that make the analytical modeling a challenging and current task. In this regard, the work, after a brief introduction, proposes firstly the main techniques adopted which serve as the experimental basis for the validation of the proposed models. Subsequently, the chapter presents analytical, computational and numerical approaches, indispensable for forecasting the material behavior, both in fretting and sliding motions potentially applied to the biological field. The assumptions, weaknesses, and strengths of the established laws are highlighted and discussed. The work, therefore, covers the main tribological and chemical concepts such as lubrication regime, real contact area, three bodies, oxide layers influence and repassivation kinetics. Finally, the future perspectives and possibilities will be reported in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of this ongoing field.