Titanium in cardiac valve prostheses: A discussion on the compaction, compressive and tensile properties of pure titanium powder metallurgical compacts

Abstract

The many advantages of using titanium in artificial heart valves have been well known for some time. The modern trend in cardiac valve prosthesis design is to promote endothelialization of the heart tissues thereby reducing the risk of embolism. It has been suggested that a porous metal heart valve may provide a means of reducing thromboembolism. To evaluate the feasibility of using a porous titanium heart valve in implants, the mechanical properties of powder metallurgical (PM) titanium compacts must first be examined. This paper discusses the results obtained from a first series of tests on the tensile, compressive, hardness and wear properties of pure titanium PM compacts. © 1992.