Biomedical Materials

Catalog description

Describe properties of materials and composites and their in vivo interactions. BME 443 ( MATSE 403 ) Biomedical Materials (3) Metals, polymers, and ceramics, and their composites, which are capable of emulating the functions of hard and soft tissues, are the subjects of this course.The subject matter shall be confined to implanted materials; external appliances, such as casts, braces, etc are not considered The topical content of this course will be grouped into four areas. A general introduction to selected aspects of physiology will be presented. This will provide the background necessary to appreciate the factors which govern the selection of biomedical materials. Specific emphases will be placed on polymerization of biopolymers (polypeptides and polysaccharides) and the general relationships between conformation and biological function, the biochemistry of blood and blood surface interactions, the formation of teeth and bone and the relationships between microstructure, composition and function, the immune responses to implanted materials, the resorption of bone (osteoporosis) and the development of caries. The perspective placed on these topics will be that of materials science. 'The selection of ceramics for hard tissue prosthesis will be discussed. Orthopaedic and dental applications for ceramics will be discussed. Specific ceramic materials to be treated include dental porcelain, alumina- and zirconia-based ceramics, and bioglasses and pyrolytic carbons. Various classes of inorganic cements, gypsum, zinc phosphates, zinc carboxylates, silicates, and glassionomer cements will also be considered as ceramics. Hydroxyapatite, Hap-based composites and Hap-metal interactions will be discussed in particular Relationships among physical properties, mechanical properties, and chemical interactions with biological fluids will be described. Dental and orthopedic applications of metals will be described. The fracture toughness of metals, their electrochemical responses in vivo, and the nature of the interfacial interactions with hard tissues will be treated Dental amalgams and the noble metals for dental applications will be considered. Metals and alloys, such as Ti, Co-Cr, and vitallium, used in prosthetic applications, will be described and their properties and limitations discussed The phenomenon of stress shielding and the immune responses associated with the accumulation of metallic and polymeric particular debris in the vicinity of an implant will be discussed in particular Polymeric materials are important in a broad range of biomedical applications. Among these are soft tissue prostheses, hemostatic agents, dental restoratives, bone replacement materials, and surgical adhesives. In some applications it is desirable that a polymeric material biodegrade while in others property retention is desirable.