Archaeological
evidences clearly
indicates that
surgical procedure
were performed
in several ancient
civilizations.
progress in surgery,
however, was slow
and mixed liberally
superstition until
the latter pan
of the nineteenth
century Scientist
Pasteur's and
Liter's antiseptic
surgical techniques,
developed around
1883. and shortly
therefore Roentgen's
discovery of X-rays
in 1895. added
a new dimension
to Orthopaedic
surgery. The great
step forward in
technique outstripped
the stale of the
material art.
In the beginning
of the twentieth
century, surgical
technique were
developed for
the fixation
of the bone
fracture with
the platc and
screw combination.
Shermen type
bone plate were
fabricated from
the best available
alloy at the
time . Vanadium
Steel. By the
1920s, use of
Vanadium Steel
Shermen plates
became questionable,
because of poor
tissue compatibility.
At the time
however, no
other alloy
was available
with high strength
and good corrosion
resistance properties.
Scientist shortly
after the introduction
of the 18-8
Stainless Steel,
clinical experiments
were conducted
to utilizc the
material for
manufacture
of surgical
implants. This
material had
far- superior
corrosion resistance
to any thing
that had been
available up
set that time
and immediately
attracted the
interest of
the Orthopaedic
surgeons, Bone
plate- Screw
and other fixation
appliances were
fabricated and
used as surgical
implants, although
the material
performed better
than anything
else available
it still showed
some susceptibility
to attack in
the saline environment
of the human
body. In 1926
when Scientist
Strauscs patentcd
the 18-8 SMO
stainless steel
containing 2
to 4% molybdenum
and a reduced
carbon content
of 0.08%. a
material was
created which
promised improved
resistance to
acid and chloride
containing environments.
Result of research
in 1930s were
so encouraging
that as a result
the American
Orthopaedic
Committee of
National Research
Council assigned
a research project
to C.R Murray
and C.G- Fink
at Columbia
University in
1941. The object
of the project
was to rapidly
determine the
most desirable
metal or alloy
for the internal
fixation of
fracture. Thc
study resulted
in recommendation
of Type 316
stainless steel
in 1943. Subsequent
research at
several medical
centers across
the nation prompted
the American
College of Surgeon
at its 1946
meeting to endorse
Type 316 and
316 L stainless
steel for use
in surgical
implants.
