Titanium (the metal of the gods)
Titanium is the ninth most abundant element on the earth and was discovered 200 years ago by William Gregor, a British clergyman. The metal was named in 1795 by a German chemist, Martin Klaproth, who named the metal after the Titans of Greek mythology. Titanium does not exist naturally in its pure state but as an oxide. It is this oxide layer of several nanometers thick that prevents direct contact between the potentially harmful metallic ions and the surrounding tissue that gives titanium its biocompatibility.
Branemark, an orthopedic surgeon, implanted titanium chambers containing an optical system for transillumination and vital microscopy into the fibula of rabbits to study blood circulation in bone. When it came time to remove the titanium chambers, Branemark and his co-workers found that they were firmly fixed in the bones of the rabbit. Thus osseointegration was born. [D.R.H.]
Crawford, R.P., New York Dent J, 60:80,1994