Patent ID: 7388042

Claim:
A biomedical implant nanocomposite comprising: a matrix; nanofillers comprising one or more elements selected from the group consisting of: aluminum, barium, bismuth, calcium, cerium, copper, dysprosium, europium, gadolinium, hafnium, indium, lanthanum, magnesium, neodymium, niobium, prascodymium, silver, strontium, tantalum, tin, tungsten, ytterbium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium; wherein the nanofillers comprise an oxide ceramic or a hydroxide; wherein the nanofillers comprise a domain size less than 50 nanometers and are mixed into the matrix at a loading of less than 80 volume percent; wherein the mixed nanofillers and matrix are formed into a solid nanocomposite biomedical implant; wherein the solid nanocomposite biomedical implant exhibits a wear resistance that differs by more than 20% as compared with the wear resistance exhibited by a composite comprising micron scale filler of a composition substantially same as the nanofiller, and wherein the nanofillers comprise a surface consisting of a thin layer of a phase that is compatible with the matrix composition.