Biomaterials are materials which are used inside the body or come in contact with tissues such as skin, bone, cartilage or open wounds. In order for a material to be used as a biomaterial it must have a property known as “biocompatibility” this means when it is placed for its intended use, it is compatible with the surrounding tissues and does not cause any adverse reactions. New Biomaterials are constantly being developed and improved with 3 main goals: firstly faster healing time for the patient, secondly reduction of necessary surgeries possibly by increasing the life of the biomaterial or making each material work better, and thirdly to decrease the possible adverse and side effects of the materials.
One of the most fundamental and requested biomaterials are orthopedic biomaterials, as millions of people worldwide are dealing with bone and joint degenerative defects. Tremendous developments have been made in the search for new bio-inert and bio-active materials which can be implanted in a human body for repairing or substituting various tissues such as bone, cartilage, and tendons. The main objective of these biomaterials is to direct tissue formation to create constructs that mimic the biological, mechanical and biochemical characteristics of the native tissue. However, there are still some problems associated with the existing biomaterials as they fail to create tissue that replicates the native tissue.
Some examples of biomaterials are:
polymers
composites
ceramics
Natural polymers:
Collagen
Hyaluronic acid
Chitosan
Alginate
Gelatin
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Orthopedic applications of biomaterials in human bodies
Select one body part to discover which biomaterials can be used in different treatments.
BONES
Bone defects filler
Ca
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