Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Materials Used in Biomaterial
Applications
3.1. Introduction
Biomaterials are commonly used in various medical applications
such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, urological, orthopedic, dental,
plastic surgery, wound healing, tissue engineering and ophthalmology.
Since the needs in biomaterials increase with the aging population and
the desire to maintain health and well-being, the global biomaterial
market is expected to reach $88.4 billion by 2017 with a compounded
annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% [MAR 13]. The major part of
biomaterials and medical devices is composed of synthetic materials
which are divided into three main classes: metals, bioceramics and
polymers. The other classes are composites and biologically derived
materials. Polymers represent more than half of the market, metals
represent around a third, while ceramics only count for approximately
5% [SAE 99]. However, due to the development of biodegradable and
biocompatible polymeric biomaterials, the biomaterial polymer
market is expected to increase by 2017 with the highest CAGR of
22.1% [MAR 13]. It is clear that the economic and medical impacts of
biomaterials highlight the importance of the research and development
at the material scale.
