Bioactive Glass-Based Coatings and Modified Surfaces: Strategies for the Manufacture, Testing, and Clinical Applications for Regenerative Medicine - Biological and Biomedical Coatings: Processing and Characterization - page 379

ceramics composites. Their applications in the human body include orthopedics, cardio-
vascular, ophthalmic, dental, wound-healing, and drug delivery systems (see Figure 9.1).

What Is a Biomaterial?

There have been many attempts to define what a biomaterial is based on inherent mechan-
ical properties and fundamental biological performance.
Black [1] offers a good definition of a biomaterial that is an adaptation of the definition
presented by The European Society for Biomaterials:

A material intended to interface with biological systems to evaluate, treat, augment, or
replace any tissue, organ, or function of the body.

The definition reinforces the concept of biological interaction and biodegradation while
including biomaterials that incorporate (seeded with) live cells. Biodegradation is defined
as the breakdown of a material medicated by a biological system [1].
Implanted biomaterials are foreign objects and will elicit an inflammatory response no
matter how bioinert they are. The inflammatory response is known as biocompatibility. In
the late 1970s, Osborn [4] attempted to define biocompatibility by segmenting biomaterials
via their local host-tissue interface responses as follows: biotolerant, bioinert, or bioactive.
Biotolerant has subsequently been dropped and biomaterials are now classified as being
bioinert or bioactive. The selecting factor in the use of materials as biomaterials will always
be its efficacy at achieving the appropriate biological performance [1].

Intraocular lenses
Dental implants

Maxillofacial implants

Oral care products

Tracheostomy tubes

Infusion ports
Pacemaker

Urological stents

Drug delivery
systems

I.V. catheters

Hip joint prostheses

Penile implants

Fixation devices

Hemodialysis products

Knee joints

Wound drainage
catheters

Small joint orthopedic
implants

FIGURE 9.1
Schematic showing various applications of biomaterials. (From Balamrugan et al., Mater. Corros. , 59(11), 855-869,
2008. With permission [3].)