Study Guide - Chapter 1: Introduction to Biomaterials
- Overview:
- - Biomaterials have diverse properties that influence their performance and interaction with
biological systems.
- - Categories include chemical, physical, mechanical, and surface properties.
- 1. Chemical Properties:
- - Involves the type and strength of atomic bonds: ionic, covalent, metallic, van der Waals, and
hydrogen bonds.
- - Crystallinity: Biomaterials can be crystalline (e.g., hydroxyapatite) or amorphous.
- - Bonding energy impacts melting point, stability, and interaction with tissues.
- 2. Physical Properties:
- - Thermal Conductivity: Ranges from high (metals like copper, silver) to low (polymers, tissues).
- - Thermal Expansion: Less relevant in biomaterials but important in dentistry where dimensional
change can create gaps.
- - Exothermic Reactions: PMMA polymerization is highly exothermic (~50C).
- - Hyperthermia Applications: Some materials heat tissues to ~4146C to kill tumor cells.
- - Electrical Conductivity: Metals are good conductors; most polymers are insulators unless
doped.
- - Optoelectronic Properties: Includes fluorescence (used in diagnostics) and bioluminescence
(e.g., luciferin systems).
- - Magnetic Properties: Magnetic materials used in targeted therapy and MRI contrast agents.
- - Ultrasound: Not used directly in biomaterials, but materials like hydrogels enhance ultrasound
imaging.
- 3. Mechanical Properties:
- - Mechanical behavior is critical to load-bearing implants and prosthetics.
- - Stress: Force per unit area applied to a material.
- - Strain: Deformation per original length.
- - Tensile, compressive, and shear forces affect materials differently.
- - Elasticity: Reversible deformation. Characterized by Youngs Modulus (slope of the linear
stress-strain curve).
- - Plasticity: Permanent deformation. Occurs beyond the yield strength.
- - Ultimate Tensile Strength: Maximum stress a material can withstand before fracture.
Study Guide - Chapter 1: Introduction to Biomaterials
- - Percent Elongation: Change in length indicating ductility.
- - Stress-Strain Curve: Shows elastic region, plastic region, strain hardening, and fracture.
- - Ceramics: Brittle and tested by bend testing instead of tension.
- - Polymers: Behave elastically or plastically depending on structure (e.g., elastomers).
- - Hardness: Resistance to indentation. Measured via macro-, micro-, and nano-hardness tests.
- - Localized deformation or necking often precedes fracture in metals.
- 4. Degradation and Corrosion:
- - Metals: Susceptible to corrosion in physiological conditions.
- - Types: Pitting, crevice, galvanic, and fretting corrosion.
- - Example: Corrosion at modular hip junctions releasing toxic ions.
- - Polymers: Degrade by hydrolysis, enzymatic breakdown, or oxidation.
- - Mechanisms: Crosslink breaking, side chain cleavage, chain scission.
- - Surface vs. bulk degradation: Surface erosion maintains structure; bulk degradation weakens
it.
- - Ceramics: Degrade via dissolution, grain disintegration, or cellular activity (phagocytosis).
- - Biodegradable polymers (e.g., PLGA, PCL): Used in medical implants and drug delivery.
- 5. Surface Properties:
- - Surface properties dictate the biological response such as protein adsorption, cell attachment,
and immune activation.
- - Surfaces differ chemically and physically from the bulk.
- - Can be contaminated by vapor-phase residues (e.g., hydrocarbons).
- - Properties of interest: roughness, wettability, surface energy, crystallinity, modulus,
heterogeneity.
- - Analysis Techniques:
- - Contact Angle Measurement: Indicates hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity.
- - Electron Spectroscopy (XPS): Chemical composition of surfaces.
- - Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS): Elemental analysis.
- - Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM): High-resolution surface imaging.
- - Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM): Measures surface topology and stiffness.
- - ATR-IR: Infrared spectroscopy for molecular structure near the surface.
- Summary:
Study Guide - Chapter 1: Introduction to Biomaterials
- - Understanding a biomaterials properties is essential for selecting the right material for a
specific application.
- - Properties must be tailored to match the physical, chemical, and biological demands of the
implant site.
- - Degradation and surface interactions are as critical as bulk mechanical strength.
- - Comprehensive testing and analysis ensure safe, effective, and long-lasting biomaterial
performance.
