Percutaneous implants fabricated from a core or substrate of a low modulus metal coated with blue to black zirconium oxide or zirconium nitride. The coating provides enhanced thrombogenicity, biocompatibility, blood compatibility, corrosion-resistance, friction and microfretting resistance, durability, and electrical insulation, where applicable. The coatings may be applied to low modulus metallic substrates by physical or chemical vapor deposition as well as other ion-beam assisted methods. Preferably, however, for optimizing attachment strength, the percutaneous implants are fabricated from zirconium or zirconium-containing alloys and the coatings are formed by oxidizing or nitriding through an in situ method that develops a coating from and on the metal surface of the percutaneous implant, without need for depositing a coating on the metal surface.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/112,587, filed Aug. 26, 1993, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,359, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 07/919,932, filed Jul. 27, 1992, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,850, which is in turn a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 07/830,720, filed Feb. 4, 1992, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,022, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/557,173, filed Jul. 23, 1990, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,794, which is in turn a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 07/385,285, filed Jul. 25, 1989, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,438.
A coating of blue-black or black oxidized zirconium of uniform and controlled thickness on a zirconium or zirconium alloy material is accomplished through the use of a single phase crystalline material substrate having an altered surface roughness. An oxidized zirconium coating of uniform and controlled thickness is especially useful on orthopedic implants of zirconium or zirconium-based alloys to provide low friction, highly wear resistant surfaces on artificial joints, such as, but not limited to, hip joints, knee joints, shoulders, elbows, and spinal implants. The uniformly thick oxidized zirconium surface of controlled depth on prostheses provide a barrier against implant corrosion caused by ionization of the metal prostheses. The invention is also useful in non-articulating implant devices such as bone plates, bone screws, etc.
A coating of blue-black or black oxidized zirconium of uniform and controlled thickness on a zirconium or zirconium alloy material is accomplished through the use of a single phase crystalline material substrate having an altered surface roughness. An oxidized zirconium coating of uniform and controlled thickness is especially useful on orthopedic implants of zirconium or zirconium-based alloys to provide low friction, highly wear resistant surfaces on artificial joints, such as, but not limited to, hip joints, knee joints, shoulders, elbows, and spinal implants. The uniformly thick oxidized zirconium surface of controlled depth on prostheses provide a barrier against implant corrosion caused by ionization of the metal prostheses. The invention is also useful in non-articulating implant devices such as bone plates, bone screws, etc.
