Biomaterials: Fundamentals and Clinical Applications

✍ Scribed by H. P. Jennissen

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 20 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0933-5137
• DOI: 10.1002/mawe.200490001

✦ Synopsis

With the 5th International Essen Symposium "Biomaterials: Fundamentals and Clinical Applications" Oct. 9 -11, 2003 the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Biomaterialien und Gewebevertra ¨glichkeit der Universita ¨t Essen" is celebrating the 5th anniversary of initiating this series of very successful symposia in Essen. In these five years there has been a tremendous evolution in the biomaterials field in Germany which is expected to continue over the next years. As in other developments in the medical field fundamental research and specifically surface science will play the major role in blazing the trail.

The future of implants lies in their surface. This holds for metallic and non-metallic biomaterials. In the case of metals excellent bulk materials such as titanium/titanium alloys, cobalt, chromium and stainless steels have been developed. Some of these bulk materials shed metal ions from their surfaces possibly eliciting allergic reactions. Otherwise, the surfaces of these materials show a high degree of natural self-passivation in the presence of oxygen giving them excellent empirical biocompatiblity. Nonetheless, very little is known about the actual surface chemistry of these metals or their specific reactivity in biological media and tissues. In recent years artificial metallic surfaces of high hydrophilicity onto which