Journal of Information and Computational Science ISSN: 1548-7741

BIOMATERIAL AND ITS APPLICATIONS

L.Raja Mohan Reddy1x,M.Obula Reddy1, M.Thaidun1 and P.Guruprathap Reddy2

1
Lecturer in Physics, Loyola Degree College(YSRR), Pulivendla, YSR(Dt), AP-516390
2
Lecturer in Chemistry, Loyola Degree College(YSRR), Pulivendla, YSR(Dt), AP-516390
lrmrmphil@gmailcom

Abstract
The development of biomaterials is not a new area of science, having existed f
or around half a century. The study of biomaterials is called biomaterial science.
Biomaterial
science encompasses elements of medicine, biology, chemistry, tissue engineering and materi
als science. A Biomaterial is any natural or synthetic material that is used to replace or
restore function to a body tissue and is continuously or intermittently in contact with the
human body. These materials do not completely replace function of the human tissues but
they possess an adequate level of physical and mechanical properties to serve for the
replacements of body tissues. Biomaterial has properties such as biocompatibility, slower
phase of degradation, mechanical strength. Utilization of polymers as biomaterials has
greatly impacted the advancement of modern technology in medical field. In specific,
polymeric biomaterials that are biodegradable provide the significant advantage of being
able to be broken down and removed after they have served their function. The above
mentioned properties are very essential in order to use it as a biomaterial in medical field.
Some of the predominant applications of biomaterial are tissue engineering, drug delivery
system, wound healing, cardiovascular application. Property of biomaterial is a very
important factor that makes it essential for the desired end uses.

Keywords:-Biomaterials, Biopolymers, Hydrogels, Biocompatible, Biodegradable.

1. Introduction
Last ten decades have shown tremendous growth in the field of material science and it
is very synonymous to say that some materials have been used successfully to replace, assist
and repair some parts of the body and its functions. These materials widely called
biomaterial. Numerous definitions for biomaterial by various scientists add some explored or
unidentified scope to the definition. Some of the definitions of biomaterials are as follows. To
begin with, Williams around 1987 stated “a nonviable material used in a medical device,
intended to interact with biological systems” [1]. It was in 1999, Williams defined
biocompatibility as “ability of a material to perform with an appropriate host response in a
specific situation” [2]. This definition drastically changed the bird-view of biomaterials, until
then that successful biomaterials played largely inert roles in the body. By the way, with
respect to the above definition, that biomaterial not only provides some function, but also

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induces some biological responses. By accommodating the above and various considerations,
a wide and distinct definition of biomaterials was made recently in Williams dictionary of
biomaterials (2008) as follows: “ability of a biomaterial to perform its desired function with
respect to a medical therapy, without eliciting any undesirable local or systemic effects in the
recipient or beneficiary of that therapy, but generating the most appropriate beneficial cellular
or tissue response to that specific situation, and optimizing the clinically relevant
performance of that therapy” [3].
According to the recent reports of Markets and Markets, it has been forecasted that by
2017 the estimated global market for biomaterials will be 88.4 billion US$ with a compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15%. To add further, it has been estimated that Asian market
is to grow at highest CAGR of 21.5% because of large number of people with disorders
necessitating biomaterial-based medical products [4]. Nowadays, biomaterials are commonly
used in various medical devices and systems: synthetic skin, drug delivery systems, tissue
cultures, hybrid organs, synthetic blood vessels, artificial hearts, cardiac pacemakers, screws,
plates, wires and pins for bone treatments, total artificial joint implants, skull reconstruction,
and dental and maxillofacial applications [5–7].
Use of biomaterials dates far back into ancient civilizations. Artificial eyes, ears,
teeth, and noses were found on Egyptian mummies [8]. Chinese and Indians used waxes,
glues, and tissues in reconstructing missing or defective parts of the body. Over the centuries,
advancements in synthetic materials, surgical techniques and sterilization methods have
permitted the use of biomaterials in many ways [9]. In general, materials used in medicine
which are classified Class I materials are those that do not directly contact bodily tissues;
Class II materials are those that contact intermittently or instantly to tissues; and Class III
materials are those that are constantly contacting tissues as implants. These days, it is the
Class III materials which are called biomaterials or biomedical materials. Biomaterials must
be nontoxic, non-carcinogenic, chemically inert, stable, and mechanically strong enough to
withstand the repeated forces of a lifetime. Newer biomaterials even incorporate living cells
in order to provide a true biological and mechanical match for the living tissue.

2. Classification of Biomaterials
When a synthetic material is placed within the human body, tissue reacts towards the
implant in a variety of ways depending on the material type. The mechanism of tissue
interaction (if any) depends on the tissue response to the implant surface. In general, there are
three terms in which a biomaterial may be in classified or described into representing the
tissues responses. These are bioinert, bioresorbable, and bioactive, which are well covered in
range of excellent review papers.

2.1.Bioinert Biomaterials

The term bioinert refers to any material that once placed in the human body has
minimal interaction with its surrounding tissue, examples of these are stainless steel,
titanium, alumina, partially stabilised zirconia, and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.
Bioinert materials do not produce any immunological host reactions but retain their structure
in the body after implantation. Generally a fibrous capsule might form around bioinert

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implants hence its biofunctionality relies on tissue integration through the implant (Figure
1a).

2.2.Bioactive Biomaterials

Bioactive refers to a material, which upon being placed within the human body
interacts with the surrounding bone and in some cases, even soft tissue. Bioactive materials
demonstrate biological functions mimicking the tissue, This occurs through a time –
dependent kinetic modification of the surface, triggered by their implantation within the
living bone. An ion – exchange reaction between the bioactive implant and surrounding body
fluids – results in the formation of a biologically active carbonate apatite (CHAp) layer on the
implant that is chemically and crystallographically equivalent to the mineral phase in bone.
Prime examples of these materials are synthetic hydroxyapatite [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2], glass
ceramic A-W and bioglass (Figure 1b and c)).

2.3.Bioresorbable Biomaterials

Bioresorbable refers to a material that upon placement within the human body starts to
dissolve (resorbed) and slowly replaced by advancing tissue (such as bone). Common
examples of bioresorbable materials are tricalcium phosphate [Ca3(PO4)2] and polylactic–
polyglycolic acid copolymers. Calcium oxide, calcium carbonate and gypsum are other
common materials that have been utilised during the last three decades (Figure 1d).

3. Medical Applications of Biomaterials

One of the primary reasons that biomaterials are used is to physically replace hard or
soft tissues that have become damaged or destroyed through some pathological process.
Although the tissues and structures of the body perform for an extended period of time in
most people, they do suffer from a variety of destructive processes, including fracture,
infection, and cancer that cause pain, disfigurement, or loss of function. Under these
circumstances, it may be possible to remove the diseased tissue and replace it with some
suitable synthetic material.

3.1. Orthopedics:- One of the most prominent application areas for biomaterials is for
orthopedic implant devices. Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis affect the structure of

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freely movable (synovial) joints, such as the hip, knee, shoulder, ankle, and elbow. The pain
in such joints, particularly weight-bearing joints such as the hip and knee, can be
considerable, and the effects on ambulatory function quite devastating. It has been possible to
replace these joints with prostheses since the advent of anesthesia, antisepsis, and antibiotics,
and the relief of pain and restoration of mobility is well known to hundreds of thousands of
patients.

3.2. Cardiovascular Applications:- In the cardiovascular, or circulatory, system (the heart

and blood vessels involved in circulating blood throughout the body), problems can arise with
heart valves and arteries, both of which can be successfully treated with implants. The heart
valves suffer from structural changes that prevent the valve from either fully opening or fully
closing, and the diseased valve can be replaced with a variety of substitutes. As with
orthopedic implants, ceramics, metals, and polymers are used as materials of construction.
Arteries, particularly the coronary arteries and the vessels of the lower limbs, become
blocked by fatty deposits (atherosclerosis), and it is possible in some cases to replace
segments with artificial arteries.

3.3. Ophthalmics:- The tissues of the eye can suffer from several diseases, leading to
reduced vision and eventually, blindness. Cataracts, for example, cause cloudiness of the
lens. This may be replaced with a synthetic (polymer) intraocular lens. Materials for contact
lenses, because they are in intimate contact with the tissues of the eye, are also considered
biomaterials. As with intraocular lenses, they too are used to preserve and restore vision.

3.4. Dental Applications:- Within the mouth, both the tooth and supporting gum tissues can
be readily destroyed by bacterially controlled diseases. Dental caries (cavities), the
demineralization and dissolution of teeth associated with the metabolic activity in plaque (a
film of mucus that traps bacteria on the surface of the teeth), can cause extensive tooth loss.
Teeth in their entirety and segments of teeth both can be replaced or restored by a variety of
materials.

3.5. Wound Healing:- One of the oldest uses of implantable biomaterials can be traced back
to the introduction of sutures for wound closure. The ancient Egyptians used linen as a suture
as far back as 2000 b.c. Synthetic suture materials include both polymers (the most widely
synthetic suture material) and some metals (e.g., stainless steels and tantalum).

Another important wound-healing category is that of fracture fixation devices. These

include bone plates, screws, nails, rods, wires, and other devices used for fracture treatment.
Although some nonmetallic materials (e.g., carbon-carbon composite bone plates) have been
investigated, almost all fracture fixation devices used for orthopedic applications are made
from metals, most notably stainless steels.

3.6. Drug-Delivery Systems:- One of the fastest growing areas for implant applications is for
devices for controlled and targeted delivery of drugs. Many attempts have been made to

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incorporate drug reservoirs into implantable devices for a sustained and preferably controlled
release. Some of these technologies use new polymeric materials as vehicles for drug
delivery.

4. Conclusion
Biomaterials have been developed in a wide range mainly based on its properties and
biomedical applications. It has made a great impact in various medical applications.
Biodegradable polymers can be produced from various renewable resources that is eco-
friendly. It has some drawbacks but it does not affect the commercial applications in wider
manner. The advantage of the bio – based polymers is that it has better performance in their
bio medical property. Various advancements have been made in the development of the
biopolymers and in the betterment of the properties of those biomaterials in the desired
applications.

References
1. D. F. Williams, Definitions in Biomaterials, Proceedings of a Consensus Conference of the
European Society for Biomaterials, Chester, UK, 1986.
2. D. F. Williams, The Williams Dictionary of Biomaterials, Liverpool University Press,
Liverpool, UK, 1999.
3. D. F. Williams, “On the nature of biomaterials,” Biomaterials, vol. 30, no. 30, pp. 5897–
5909, 2009.
4. “Markets and Markets,”
http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/global-biomaterials.asp.
5. “A Roadmap of Biomedical Engineers and Milestones, ”
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~exet0249/biomaterials.html#biomat.

6. M. Niinomi, “Recent metallic materials for biomedical applications,” “Metallurgical and

Materials Transactions A, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 477–486, 2002.
7. “Tiger International (Shanghai) BioMetals Co., Ltd,”
http://www.biomedicalalloys.com/home.html.
8. Williams DF, Cunningham J. Materials in Clinical Dentistry. Oxford, UK; Oxford University
Press, 1979.
9. Park JB. Biomaterials Science and Engineering. New York; Plenum Press, 1984.

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