INTRODUCTION TO MODERN
BIOMATERIALS
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LECTURE 1
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CLASSES OF MATERIALS USED IN
MEDICINE
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HOW MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF
BIOMATERIALS ARE IN USE TODAY?
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FACT-
The FDA regulates 100,000 different
products that represent at least 1,700
Different Types of Biomedical Devices
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BROAD CLASSIFICATION-TYPES OF BIOMATERIALS
ceramics
metals
polymers, synthetic and natural
composites
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Material Science Logic
Performance/
Application
Struct
ure
Synthe Propert
sis
+process iesPhysi
ing
cal
Biolo
gical
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CERAMICS
Inorganic compounds that contain metallic and non-
metallic elements, for which inter-atomic bonding is ionic
or covalent, and which are generally formed at high
temperatures.
Derivation: From the Greek word "keramos" meaning the
art and science of making and using solid articles formed
by the action of heat on earthy raw materials.
Most ceramics occur as minerals:
(1) The abundance of elements and geochemical
characteristics of the earth’s crust govern mineral types.
(2) Composition of Earth’s Crust: [84% = O + Si + Al]
O = 50% Fe = 5% K = 2.5%
Si = 26% Ca = 3% Mg = 2%
Al = 8% Na = 2.5% H = 1%
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CERAMICS
Advantages:
- inert in body (or
bioactive in body)
- high wear resistance
(orthopedic & dental
applications)
- high modulus (stiffness)
& compressive strength
- fine esthetic properties
for dental applications
Disadvantages:
- brittle (low fracture
resistance, flaw tolerance)
- low tensile strength
(fibers are exception)
- poor fatigue resistance
(relates to flaw tolerance)
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CERAMIC APPLICATIONS
femoral heads and cup inserts
for ceramic on polyethylene; or
ceramic on ceramic hip
replacement bearings;
knee prostheses;
spinal fusion devices;
orthopedic instrumentation;
dental-crowns;
bridges, implants and caps;
inner ear implants (cochlear
implants);
drug delivery devices; and,
cochlear implants.
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CERAMICS
Alumina, Zirconium, Calcium phosphate, Silica,
pyrrolytic carbon, hydroxyapatite are common;
Porous ceramic materials exhibit much lower
strengths but have been found extremely useful
as coatings for metallic implants;
The coating aids in tissue fixation of the implant
by providing a porous surface for the surrounding
tissue to grow into and mechanically interlock;
and,
Certain ceramics are considered bioactive
ceramics if they establish bonds with bone tissue.
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METALS
closely packed crystal structure; the type of bonding
in metals and metal alloys render them valuable as
load bearing implants as well as internal fixation
devices used for orthopedic applications as well as
dental implants;
when processed suitably they contribute high
tensile, fatigue and yield strengths; low reactivity
and good ductility to the stems of hip implant
devices; and,
Their properties depend on the processing method
and purity of the metal, however, and the selection
of the material must be made appropriate to its
intended use.
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METALS MANUFACTURING
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METALS
One complication that can occur from the use of
metals in orthopedic applications is the
phenomenon of stress shielding;
In some situations, such as hip implantation, the
high strength of the metal in the implant induces
it to assume more than its share of responsibility
for the load in that region;
This decreases the load born by the surrounding
tissue and therefore shields it from experiencing
stress;
Lack of stress causes bone density to decrease as
bone tissue resorbs, eventually causing
complications in the implant/tissue interface.
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OTHER USES OF METALS
Medical
Tubing
Stents
Catheters
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POLYMERS
consist of small repeating units strung together in
long chains;
flexible structure of polymers has enabled this
group of materials to be useful in applications from
plastic garbage bags to rubber tires;
Even DNA has found this structure useful, storing
genetic information in thousands upon thousands of
repeating sequences of polymers;
In many materials, processing conditions can induce
the polymer chains to link with each other along the
length of the chain to produce a wide variety of
mechanical properties;
These parameters are easily varied in order to suit
current biomedical applications.
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POLYMERS
Hydrophilic
Hydrophobic
Biostable
Biodegradable
Natural
Synthetic
Highly processable
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COMPOSITES
individual strengths and weaknesses of polymers,
ceramics, and metals benefit different applications;
The porosity and hardness of ceramics support tissue
integration into the tissue/implants interface, but these
properties could hardly suit a ligament replacement;
A composite material incorporates the desired
characteristics of different materials to meet the
stringent demands of living tissue;
Most composite designs combine strength and
flexibility by reinforcing a relatively flexible material
with a harder, stronger one; and,
In some cases, one or more of these materials may be
degradable in order to encourage tissue integration.
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WHAT DO BIOMATERIALS ALL SHARE IN COMMON?
The answer is: that they were not
originally engineered for biomaterials
applications!
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BIO-INERTNESS VS. BIOACTIVITY
Bioactive materials play a more aggressive role
in the body. While a biocompatible material
should affect the equilibrium of the body as
little as possible, a bioactive material recruits
specific interactions between the material and
surrounding tissue.
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BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
encourage tissue integration to aid in the fixation of an
implant in the body. Many total hip implants operations
today rely partially on a porous coating of Hydroxyapatite
(HA), a normal component of bone, to help permanently
stabilize the stem of the implant in the bone. The coating
encourages ingrowth from the surrounding tissue that
interlocks within the pores much like the pieces of a puzzle
lock together. Although many current medical procedures
call for inert biocompatible materials, the increasing
understanding of tissue interaction promises many more
applications for aggressive bioactive materials.
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COMMONLY USED BIOMATERIALS
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REQUIREMENTS OF BIOMATERIALS
A biomaterial must be:
inert or specifically interactive
biocompatible
mechanically and chemically stable or
biodegradable
processable (for manufacturability)
nonthrombogenic (if blood-contacting)
sterilizable
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PROGRESS IN HEALTHCARE
Technology moves on
from bio-inert & current biocompatible materials
with limited useful life
to ‘second generation’, structurally and
functionally advanced materials
to body replacement and augmentation devices
active in a physiological and pathology-
correcting way over an entire life-time
Tissue engineering, microsystems and
nanotechnology will address many of these
needs
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