title: On the possibility of silicon nitride as a ceramic for structural orthopaedic implants. Part II: chemical stability and wear resistance in body environment.
abstract: In Part I, the processing, microstructure and mechanical properties of three silicon nitride-based ceramics were examined and their non-toxicity was demonstrated. In this Part II, some features critical to biomedical applications were investigated: (i) the wetting behaviour against aqueous media, including physiological solutions; (ii) the chemical stability in water and in physiological solutions; and (iii) the wear resistance, measured under experimental procedures that simulate the conditions typical of the hip joint prosthesis. The results confirmed that silicon nitride may serve as a biomaterial for bone substitution in load bearing prosthesis.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sciences and Technology for Ceramics, National Research Council, Via Granarolo, n.64, Faenza, Ravenna 48018, Italy. mauro.mazzocchi@istec.cnr.it
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazzocchi
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gardini
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Traverso
authors.forename: Maria Giulia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Faga
authors.forename: Alida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bellosi
mesh_terms: D002516:Ceramics; D008422:Materials Testing; D009985:Orthopedics; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D017655:Silicon Compounds; C032734:silicon nitride