Corrosion rate measurements in vivo

Abstract

Corrosion resistance is particularly important in medical treatments requiring implantation of metallic objects in the human body. Unfortunately, weight loss measurements and other conventional corrosion testing techniques are insufficiently sensitive and difficult to adapt to in vivo environments. The linear polarization technique can be used to remotely meaure the corrosion rates of metals implanted in tissue using needle probes. The principles of this technique are reviewed and the results of tests performed on steel, cobalt, and molybdenum implanted in experimental animals are discussed.