Indigenously developed titanium implants: oral and skeletal rehabilitation aids

Implant technology has tremendous applications in the field of oral and skeletal rehabilitation, post cancer surgery cases, developmental deformities, war injuries and accident cases. At present these implants and suitable surgical instruments are being imported at exorbitant prices, due to lack of indigenous know-how in this area of specialisation and hence, restrict their use to common humans of developing nations. Therefore, a successful development of indigenous titanium implants: endosseous dental implants, bone plates, bone screws and the suitable surgical instruments, has been carried-out, keeping in-view the quality control parameters and cost of the products, to mitigate the pain and sufferings of many. The indigenously developed titanium, used for development of implants, has been established for its suitability and acceptability as an implant material, by various investigations and studies, i.e, electrochemical behaviour, surface science, biological, animal experimentation etc. The developed Ti-implants, meeting ASTM, BI standards, are now made available after approval of the Drug Controller of India and ICMR, as import substitutes at highly economical and competitive prices allowing large numbers of the needy population to benefit by this development of DRDO as a "spin-off of Defence Technology" for "Societal Mission". The experimental studies carried out on Ti-metal, used to develop the implants, are briefly highlighted.