A spine model implanted with a 3D-printed artificial axis
IN PHOTO: A spine model implanted with a 3D-printed artificial axis is displayed at Peking University Third Hospital in Beijing, August 14, 2014. Chinese doctor Liu Zhongjun has successfully implanted an artificial axis produced by a 3D printer into the spine of a bone cancer patient. This was the first time that an axis produced by 3D printing had been implanted into a patient, according to Liu. Normally, a diseased axis would be replaced by a standardised, hollow titanium tube, said Liu. Picture taken August 14, 2014. REUTERS/Jason Lee

One of the major segments of metal production is biomedical metal, the kind of metal used in medical appliances or surgical implants. As more patients around the world require orthopaedic surgeries or bone grafts, and more biomedical companies develop new technologies, the value of market will continue to rise.

According to a new research, the biomedical metal market is expected to increase at a decent pace of 7.27 percent annually until 2020. The global biomedical metal market is currently segmented based on the type of metals used: stainless steel, titanium-based alloy, cobalt-based alloy, magnesium and others.

The market has another division where the bases of applications (e.g. surgical instruments, implants, dental, trauma and fixation) are markers. Stainless steel is currently the most widely used metal for its cheap price and cost-effectiveness.

The report stated that there is currently a high demand for orthopaedic implants that will not be rejected by the body. The threat in the market lies on metal implants that are incompatible with the human body, thus, the medical sector looks at titanium as the metal of choice for such procedures.

Titanium-based alloys are slowly replacing conventional orthopaedic implants simply because it is more biocompatible and more practical to use. Key vendors in the market include Biomet Inc., Wright Medical Group, Invibio, Bayer, Berkeley Advanced Biomaterials, Cam Bioceramics and Teleflex.

Furthermore, the market’s growth highlights the developments of titanium-based alloys, which serves as one of the major trends in the market. These developments will drive revenue growth based on the fact that titanium is more expensive than other forms of biomedical metals.

Titanium may be expensive, but it does not hinder doctors and patients from preferring a stronger, more efficient and lighter alternative to stainless steel. Current and upcoming developments on titanium-based alloys will prompt a higher demand for the metal. Titanium manufacturers are aware of the high quality requirements involved with biomedical metals, which is why high-grade titanium is highly demanded in the market.

One source of high-grade titanium could be Chile’s White Mountain Titanium Corporation (OTCQB: WMTM), which sits on a rutile-rich deposit in Santiago. The company aims to produce over 112 million tonnes of high-grade rutile, and some of this supply could end up in the biomedical metal market.

Medical grade titanium alloys are available in many forms, and this wide range allows surgeons and practitioners to tailor the implants according to what the application needs. Forging, casting, machining, and fabrication are some of the most common practices that use titanium implants, but one significant development that use titanium alloys comes is 3D printing.

The use of 3D printing for titanium implants is a technology that’s getting widely used in medical centres around the world. There have been reports from the United States, China, Barcelona, South Africa, Netherlands,and Australia that prove the efficiency of 3D printed titanium implants for patients who received them.

Contact the writer: a.lu@ibtimes.com.au

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