Titanium rods, made of pure titanium or a blend of alloys, are commonly used in orthopedic surgeries. The type of rod used depends on the patient’s injuries and needs. Expandable rods are best for children, while non-expandable rods may require repeat surgeries and stunt growth.
A titanium rod is a titanium rod; the rods can be composed of pure titanium or they can also be a blend of pure titanium and other alloys such as aluminum or vanadium. Such rods are most commonly used in orthopedic surgeries. The ends of the titanium rods can be threaded or clipped depending on what is needed for the patient at the time. Typically, the surface of the titanium rods is coated or treated with a substance that will encourage the rods to better fuse with the bone once it is implanted in the body.
The specific titanium rod used for medical applications typically depends on the patient’s injuries and how stable or flexible the rod needs to be. When strength is the only factor, such as when replacing a leg bone with a titanium rod, orthopedic surgeons often use titanium alloy rods. Because pure titanium is more flexible than rods made from titanium alloys, these types of rods are often used in patients where the rod to be inserted needs to be contoured into shape prior to implantation. Titanium alloy bars are generally used in most patients. However, there is a high rate of friction associated with these types of rods, so any rubbing against other titanium alloy rods should be avoided at all costs.
For children requiring orthopedic surgery, an expandable titanium rod is normally used. This is a rod that will be attached to the joints and will lengthen with the bone as the child grows. While these are the best types of rods to use for children who are still growing, the expandable titanium rod can only be used to replace large bones in the body such as a leg bone. Using an expandable rod will also reduce the occurrence of subsequent surgeries as the rod will grow with the child to some extent.
While expandable shafts are used whenever possible, the use of non-expandable shafts is sometimes necessary. If non-expandable titanium rods are used in any type of surgery where the person is still growing, repeat surgeries will be needed to replace the rod. If the rod is not replaced through subsequent surgeries, this could stunt your child’s growth as the rod will not allow his or her body to grow naturally.
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