Anodic oxidation of titanium: from technical aspects to biomedical applications

Titanium biomaterials are widely employed to produce medical components, such as hip and knee-joint prostheses, bone plates and screws, dental implants, pacemaker cases, surgical equipment. Their diffusion is ascribed to the broad spectrum of optimal mechanical and surface properties, such as the corrosion resistance and correlated low ionic release, the bio-compatibility, and especially, the enhanced osseointegration that can be achieved by surface modifications, particularly by suitable anodizing treatments. This review is intended to provide a survey of the wide class of anodic oxidation treatments on titanium, focusing on the oxide structures, morphologies, and compositions that best apply to the variegated fields of titanium applications.