In this study, we assessed the outcomes after surgical treatment of thoracic post-excision defects in 15 patients, using TiNi knitted surgical meshes and customized artificial TiNi-based ribs. Methods: Eight patients were diagnosed with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) invading the chest wall, of which five patients were T3N0M0, two were T3N1M0, and one was T3N2M0. Squamous cell carcinoma was identified in three of these patients and adenocarcinoma in five. In two cases, chest wall resection and repair were performed for metastases of kidney cancer after radical nephrectomy. Three-dimensional CT reconstruction and X-ray scans were used to plan the surgery and customize the reinforcing TiNi-based implants. All patients received TiNi-based devices and were prospectively followed for a few years. Results: So far, there have been no lethal outcomes, and all implanted devices were consistent in follow-up examinations. Immediate complications were noted in three cases (ejection of air through the pleural drains, paroxysm of atrial fibrillation, and pleuritis), which were conservatively managed. In the long term, no complications, aftereffects, or instability of the thoracic cage were observed. Conclusion: TiNi-based devices used for extensive thoracic lesion repair in this context are promising and reliable biomaterials that demonstrate good functional, clinical, and cosmetic outcomes.
Intermetallic porous SHS–TiNi alloys exhibit tangled and specific stress-strain characteristics. The article aims to evaluate the findings emanated from experiments using standard and proprietary instruments. Fatigue testing under repeated complex loading was used to measure the total number of load cycles to failure of SHS-TiNi samples. 70% of the tested samples, passed through 106 cycles without failure due to the reversible martensite transformation in the TiNi phase, one of the prevailing constituents of a multiphase matrix. The fractured surfaces were analyzed using SEM and confocal laser scanning instruments. Microscopic studies showed that the entire surface of the sample is concealed with the miscellaneous strata resulted from the SHS process, which effectively protect the porous alloy in a corrosive environment. Numerous non-metallic inclusions, which are also attributed to the SHS reaction, do not have a significant impact on the deformation behavior and fatigue performance. In this context, the successful in vivo functioning of porous grafts assessed in a canine rib-plasty model allows the bone substitute to be congruentially deformed in the body without rejection and degradation, having a long operational life, often greater than 17 million cycles. It acknowledges the potential benefits of SHS–TiNi as a superior osteoplastic material and its high resistance to corrosion fatigue.