Lastly, since this kind of material is implanted for a lifetime, we test the stent with regard to fatigue life.
The investigation showed that PCU is a good candidate for use in hemiarthroplasty components, where only one of the two articulating surfaces is replaced, as long as the synthetic material is implanted in a region where migrating cartilage contact is achieved.
However, with its high nickel content of ∼ 50%, there is concern on health and safety when this material is implanted inside the human body for a prolonged period of time as toxic nickel ions may leach into the body due to corrosion under physiological environment.
Therefore, it is not surprising that many cells cannot adapt and poorly survive in vitro and, conversely, when a foreign material is implanted in the body, the adjacent tissue cells do not interact properly because of lack of their ECM.
Patients may find the relatively rapid results offered by injectable products inherently appealing, particularly if, as in the case of autologous fat transfer or hyaluronic acid injections, a natural material is implanted.
When a material is implanted into the body, a cascade of events take place in the surrounding tissue which eventually ends with the production of foreign body giant cells [ 4].
