Biomaterials have had a major impact on the practice of contemporary medicine and patient care. Growing into a major interdisciplinary effort involving chemists, biologists, engineers, and physicians, biomaterials development has enabled the creation of high-quality devices, implants, and drug carriers with greater biocompatibility and biofunctionality. The fast-paced research and increasing interest in finding new and improved biocompatible or biodegradable polymers has provided a wealth of new information, transforming this edition of Polymeric Biomaterials into a two-volume set. This volume Read more... Content: Synthesis and Fabrication of Polyesters as Biomaterials Philippe Lecomte and Christine Jerome Hydrogels Formed by Cross-Linked Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Gaio Paradossi Development and Evaluation of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Hydrogels as a Component of Hybrid Artificial Tissues for Orthopedics Surgery Application Masanori Kobayashi Polyphosphazenes as Biomaterials Meng Deng, Cato T. Laurencin, Harry R. Allcock, and Sangamesh G. Kumbar Biodegradable Polymers as Drug Carrier Systems Abraham J. Domb and Wahid Khan Bioresorbable Hybrid Membranes for Bone Regeneration Akiko Obata and Toshihiro Kasuga Mucoadhesive Polymers: Basics, Strategies, and Future Trends Andreas Bernkop-Schnurch Biodegradable Polymeric/Ceramic Composite Scaffolds to Regenerate Bone Tissue Catherine Gkioni, Sander Leeuwenburgh, and John Jansen Amphiphilic Systems as Biomaterials Based on Chitin, Chitosan, and Their Derivatives Jacques Desbrieres Biomaterials of Natural Origin in Regenerative Medicine Vijay Kumar Nandagiri, Valeria Chiono, Piergiorgio Gentile, Franco Maria Montevecchi, and Gianluca Ciardelli Natural Polymers as Components of Blends for Biomedical Applications Alina Sionkowska Metal-Polymer Composite Biomaterials Takao Hanawa Evolution of Current and Future Concepts of Biocompatibility Testing Menno L.W. Knetsch Biocompatibility of Elastomers Dominique Chauvel-Lebret, Pascal Auroy, and Martine Bonnaure-Mallet Preparation and Applications of Modulated Surface Energy Biomaterials Blanca Vazquez, Luis M. Rodriguez-Lorenzo, Gema Rodriguez-Crespo, Juan Parra, Mar Fernandez, and Julio San Roman Electrospinning for Regenerative Medicine Toby D. Brown, Cedryck Vaquette, Dietmar W. Hutmacher, and Paul D. Dalton Polymeric Nanoparticles for Targeted Delivery of Bioactive Agents and Drugs Cesare Errico, Alberto Dessy, Anna Maria Piras, and Federica Chiellini Polymeric Materials Obtained through Biocatalysis Florin Dan Irimie, Csaba Paizs, and Monica Ioana Tosa Polymer-Based Colloidal Aggregates as a New Class of Drug Delivery Systems Cesare Cametti Photoresponsive Polymers for Control of Cell Bioassay Systems Kimio Sumaru, Shinji Sugiura, Toshiyuki Takagi, and Toshiyuki Kanamori Lignin in Biological Systems Valentin I. Popa Carbohydrate-Derived Self-Crosslinkable In Situ Gelable Hydrogels for Modulation of Wound Healing Lihui Weng, Christine Falabella, and Weiliam Chen Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery Applications of Polymers E.C. Combe Biomaterials as Platforms for Topical Administration of Therapeutic Agents in Cutaneous Wound Healing Rhiannon Braund and Natalie J. Medlicott Polymers for Artificial Joints Masayuki Kyomoto, Toru Moro, and Kazuhiko Ishihara Abstract: Biomaterials have had a major impact on the practice of contemporary medicine and patient care. Growing into a major interdisciplinary effort involving chemists, biologists, engineers, and physicians, biomaterials development has enabled the creation of high-quality devices, implants, and drug carriers with greater biocompatibility and biofunctionality. The fast-paced research and increasing interest in finding new and improved biocompatible or biodegradable polymers has provided a wealth of new information, transforming this edition of Polymeric Biomaterials into a two-volume set. This volume