Stress shielding is the reduction in bone density ( osteopenia) as a result of removal of typical stress from the bone by an implant (for instance, the femoral component of a hip prosthesis). This is because by

Wolff's law Wolff's law, developed by the German anatomist and surgeon Julius Wolff (surgeon), Julius Wolff (1836–1902) in the 19th century, states that bone in a healthy animal will adapt to the loads under which it is placed. If loading on a particular ...

, bone in a healthy person or animal remodels in response to the loads it is placed under. It is possible to mention the elastic modulus of magnesium (41–45 GPa) compared to titanium (110–127 GPa), stainless steel (189–205 GPa), iron (211.4 GPa), or zinc (78–121 GPa), which makes it further analogous to the natural bone of the body (3–20 GPa) and prevents stress shielding phenomena. Porous implantation is one typical alleviation method.

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Orthopedic surgical procedures Skeletal disorders {{musculoskeletal-stub