Trabecular Metal™ Technology

The Best Thing Next To Bone® 

The cellular structure of Trabecular Metal resembles bone and approximates its physical and mechanical properties more closely than other prosthetic materials. The unique, highly porous, trabecular configuration is conducive to bone formation, enabling rapid and extensive tissue infiltration and strong attachment.1,2,+

Physical Properties

Trabecular Metal consists of interconnecting pores resulting in a structural biomaterial that is 80% porous, allowing approximately 2-3 times greater bone ingrowth compared to conventional porous coatings and double the interface shear strength.1,+ Trabecular Metal implants are fabricated using elemental tantalum metal and vapor deposition techniques that create a metallic strut configuration similar to trabecular bone. The crystalline microtexture of a Trabecular Metal strut is conductive to direct bone apposition.2

Elemental tantalum unites strength and corrosion resistance with excellent biocompatibility. These characteristics help explain tantalum's surgical use for more than 50 years in applications such as cranioplasty plates and pacemaker leads.3

Mechanical Properties

Trabecular Metal possesses a high strength-to-weight ratio, with mechanical properties capable of withstanding physiologic loading. The compressive strength and elastic modulus of Trabecular Metal are more similar to bone than are other prosthetic load-bearing materials.2,4 The material's low stiffness facilitates physiologic load transfer and helps minimize stress shielding.

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References

1. Bobyn JD, Stackpool G, Toh K-K, et. al. Bone ingrowth characteristics and interface mechanics of a new porous tantalum biomaterial. J Bone Joint Surg. 1999; 81-B:907-914.

2. Bobyn JD, Hacking SA, Chan SP, et. al. Characterization of a new porous tantalum biomaterial for reconstructive orthopaedics. Scientific Exhibit, Proc of AAOS, Anaheim CA, 1999.

3. Black J. Biological performance of tantalum. Clin Materials. 1994;16:167-173.

4. Krygier JJ, Bobyn JD, Poggie RA, et. al. Mechanical characterization of a new porous tantalum biomaterial for orthopaedic reconstruction. Proc SIROT. Sydney, Australia, 1999.