Titanium alloys for medical applications - A brief review

Among metallic biomaterials, titanium alloys are a highly reliable option when it comes to ensuring high structural, mechanical and biocompatibility reliability. Its increasing use in the manufacture of medical devices, particularly in the field of orthopaedics, is justified by its mechanical and chemical properties, such as low density, high mechanical strength, high corrosion resistance, low Young's modulus and excellent biocompatibility. The ongoing development of novel alloys, with the aim of obtaining increasingly high levels of biocompatibility, will undoubtedly result in a greater prevalence of this type of biomaterial in future applications. Although there is currently a predominance of type α + β alloys, such as the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, the development of new type β alloys is aimed at achieving greater biological and mechanical biocompatibility. This review aims to provide concise updated information on titanium alloys, their mechanical properties, microstructure, development of new alloys and applications of titanium alloys in the medical field.