Clinical Aspects of Orthopaedic Implant Surgery

Orthopaedic implants are divided into two categories : temporary and permanent. Temporary implants are primarily employed in fracture fixation to insure fracture stability until bony unions occurs. Their service life does not exceed several months. Permanent implants are designed to replace a damaged part of the skeleton and should last the lifetime of the patient. Typical examples of permanent implants include all types of total joint prostheses. This paper reviews the state of art and the future of orthopaedic implants.