Reticulated composites are formed with a thin coating of a ductile biocompatible metal such as tantalum on a brittle biocompatible substrate such as vitreous carbon. Such composites exhibit physical properties that permit these monolithic composites to be morselized, or sized and shaped manually. Such composites exhibit surfaces with excellent ductile metal biocompatibility properties, but with strength and fracture physical properties that are more characteristic of the brittle substrate than of the ductile metal. Such composites fracture easily, and may be morselized or worked by manual sizing and shaping. Such morselization and working is accomplished by breaking or fracturing the composite, rather than plastically deforming it. Morselized or manually shaped reticulated composites exhibit excellent biocompatibility characteristics with micro- and nano-textured surfaces that promote rapid bone ingrowth and adhesion. When the composite is broken, the substrate is exposed. The presence of exposed substrate does not significantly impair the biocompatibility of these composites.
