FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOMATERIALS AND BIOCOMPATIBILITY - Advanced Biomaterials: Fundamentals, Processing, and Applications - page 5

Ocular lenses

Cranium

Ear

Maxillofacial
reconstruction

Dental

Degradable sutures

Heart

Spine

Load-bearing
orthopedic

Blood vessels

Prosthetic
joints

Tendon &
Ligments

Bone
fixation

Figure 1.2. A schematic of the various human body parts, which can be potentially replaced
by synthetic biomaterials. [Reproduced from, J Black, in chapter: Biocompatibility: Defi nition
and Issues, Biological Performance of Materials: Fundamentals of Biocompatibility, CRC Press,
US, 2006.]

biomaterials from other classes of materials is their ability to remain in a
biological environment without damaging the surroundings and without
getting damaged in that process 7 . Therefore, biomaterials require both biological
and materials properties to suit a specifi c application. It must be emphasized
here that biological properties/responses of a material in physiological environ-
ments are, by far, the most important consideration, as opposed to superior
mechanical properties, for selecting/defi ning biomaterials. From the health care
perspective, it is desirable that a biocompatible material interrupts normal
body functions as little as possible. The most important aspect of a biomaterial
is, therefore, how a biomaterial interacts when implanted in a human or animal
body.