Abstract
This review attempts to provide a state-of-the art literature evaluation of the application of finite element analysis to the selection and design of Ti and Ti-based biometallic alloys for biostructural rehabilitation, a background required for understanding the limits of practical implementation of the outcomes of computational analysis for biomaterials design. Biometallic materials based on titanium and titanium alloys are arguably the most pragmatic option for implant and scaffold design intended for bone, tissue, and vascular repairs, and other musculoskeletal disorders. This is owing to their high biocompatibility, low toxicity, high strength-to-weight ratio, and general mechanical properties that are similar to those of human tissues. Their selection, design and practical deployment for biostructural use is conditionally dependent on the outcomes from extensive biomechanical assessment before clearance for clinical property evaluation is recommended. These assessments, which are experimental in nature, require a lot of commitment both in terms of materials, cost, man-hours, and state-of-the-art facilities. A rapid and less resource-demanding approach to assessing the bio-mechanical suitability of biometallic materials as tissue replacements in the body could be of great help, and the use of finite element analysis based computational modelling and simulation techniques appears to be the way forward. This review analyses the basis, procedures, and outcomes from such computational studies on Ti based biometallic systems targeted for fractures and tissue rehabilitation. It also assesses the strengths, challenges and future scope for the utilization of finite element analysis outcomes for selection and design of Ti based biostructural materials.