Handbook of Biomaterial Properties

Progressinthedevelopmentofsurgicalimplantmaterialshasbeenhinderedbythelackofbasicinformationonthenatureofthetissues,organsandsystemsbeingrepairedorreplaced.Materials\'propertiesoflivingsystems,whosestudyhasbeenconductedlargelyundertherubricoftissuemechanics,hastendedtobemoredescriptivethanquantitative.Intheearlydaysofthemodernsurgicalimplantera,thisdeficiencywasnotcritical.However,asimplantscontinuetoimproveandbothlongerservicelifeandhigherreliabilityaresought,theinabilitytopredictthebehaviorofimplantedmanufacturedmaterialshasrevealedtherelativelackofknowledgeofthematerialspropertiesofthesupportingorhostsystem,eitherinhealthordisease.Suchasituationisunacceptableinmoreconventionalengineeringpractice:thesuccessofnewdesignsforaeronauticalandmarineapplicationsdependsexquisitelyuponadetailed,disciplinedandquantitativeknowledgeofserviceenvironments,includingthepropertiesofmaterialswhichwillbeencounteredandinteractedwith.Thustheknowledgeofthemyriadphysicalpropertiesofoceanicemakespossiblethedesignanddevelopmentoficebreakerswithouttheneedfortrialanderror.Incontrast,thedevelopmentperiodforanewsurgicalimplant,incorporatingnewmaterials,maywellexceedadecadeandeventhenonlyshorttermperformancepredictionscanbemade.,