Many patients have questions about the hardware that is often used in foot and ankle surgery. If you are having foot or ankle surgery, ask your physician if you will need implants like those discussed below.
Implants are substances that are placed inside or on the surface of the body. In the field of orthopedics and in foot and ankle surgery in particular, implants refer to objects which are used to hold bones together, strengthen tendons and ligaments or attach them to bone, and replace bone.
Implant material depends on the application. There are two main groups: biologic and non-biologic.
Biologic materials are similar to human tissue and used primarily to replace or strengthen damaged tissue, such as bone or tendons. It also includes materials which eventually transform to scar and thus “disappear” over time.
Non-biologic implants are made from materials that are not intended to change over time. The most commonly used screws and plates that over the last few decades have been made of metals. More recently there has been increasing use of plastics and composite materials. This article will for the most part focus on non-biologic implants.
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