Palladium alloys for biomedical devices

Abstract

In the biomedical field, palladium has primarily been used as a component of alloys for dental prostheses. However, recent research has shown the utility of palladium alloys for devices such as vascular stents that do not distort magnetic resonance images. Dental palladium alloys may contain minor or major percentages of palladium. As a minor constituent, palladium hardens, strengthens and increases the melting range of alloys. Alloys that contain palladium as the major component also contain copper, gallium and sometimes tin to produce strong alloys with high stiffness and relatively low corrosion rates. All current evidence suggests that palladium alloys are safe, despite fears about harmful effects of low-level corrosion products during biomedical use. Recent evidence suggests that palladium poses fewer biological risks than other elements, such as nickel or silver. Hypersensitivity to palladium alone is rare, but accompanies nickel hypersensitivity 90–100% of the time. The unstable price of palladium continues to influence the use of palladium alloys in biomedicine.

Keywords::

• biocompatibility
• corrosion
• dental alloy
• hypersensitivity
• noble metal

Financial & competing interests disclosure

John Wataha has conducted research and received consulting fees from Degussa, Ivoclar and Metalor, but currently has no active projects with these or other companies or organizations that could be construed to be financial or intellectual conflicts of interest. Topics in this manuscript have not been biased by any real or apparent conflicts of interests with the above companies or any other company or organization. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.