Abstract
Carbon fiber offers numerous material benefits including reduced wear, high strength-to-weight ratio, a similar elastic modulus to that of bone, and high biocompatibility. Carbon fiber implants are increasingly used in multiple arenas within orthopaedic surgery, including spine, trauma, arthroplasty, and oncology. In the orthopaedic oncologic population, the radiolucency of carbon fiber facilitates post-operative imaging for tumor surveillance or recurrence, the monitoring of bony healing and union, and radiation mapping and delivery.