Microchemical and surface evaluation of canine tibial plateau leveling osteotomy plates

Objective—To determine the microchemical and surface composition of tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) plates before and after explantation. Sample Population—7 TPLO plates surgically removed from host dogs 6 to 54 months after implantation; 2 raw unpolished-and-unpassivated 316L TPLO plates; and 2 heat-treated, polished-and-passivated, and cleaned 316L TPLO plates. Procedures—Samples were removed by use of standard techniques to ensure the plate surface was not damaged. Sample pieces were dissolved and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine bulk elemental composition. Other sample pieces were investigated by use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for determination of sample morphology, near-surface elemental composition, and surface elemental composition, respectively. To investigate the possibility of corrosion in situ, some samples were chemically corroded and analyzed. Res...