Development of nitrogen-containing nickel-free austenitic stainless steels for metallic biomaterials—review

Metallic biomaterials—such as 316L stainless steel and cobalt-based alloys—have been used as biomaterials mainly because of their excellent mechanical and corrosion properties. However, the release of nickel trace elements—which cause toxicity—has prompted the development of nitrogen-containing nickel-free austenitic stainless steels. This paper reviews their development, traces the history of 316L stainless steel, and the improvement of properties by nitrogen addition. These steels are now available for production of implant devices such as bone plates and screws. Such production requires special techniques with nitrogen absorption treatment.