Surgical implant materials: Where and why nickel is used
Concerns are sometimes reported about nickel-containing materials that are used in surgery and for
implants.
Nickel is widely used in surgical instruments (notably as "surgical stainless steel") and in many specialist
implant materials and devices. The alloys used vary considerably and are usually proprietary in nature. They
are designed to deliver very particular properties to different devices. Stents (used to keep arteries close
to the heart open) may be a nickel-titanium shape-memory. Staples used as stitches in surgery may be
stainless steel because of their strength, formability (they will bend without breaking) and resistance to
corrosion. Strength, dimensional stability, and fatigue resistance are some of the other qualities nickel can
bring to materials.
Among the many millions of surgical operations and implant operations, however, there are occasional reports of adverse consequences. Sometimes the presence of nickel in the implant alloy is suspected to be the cause of an allergic or other reaction.
If you know you are allergic to nickel or have any concerns about possible adverse effects from the use of nickel-containing alloys, consult your doctor and/or surgeon in the period leading up to the operation.
For more information on allergy and other medical questions, go to "Basic
Science Issues" on this website.
For more information on the behaviour of implant materials in the body, go to The Corrosion Doctors.
For more on nickel allergy go to "Nickel Allergic Contact Dermatitis".
