The Chemistry of Medical and Dental Materials (RSC Materials Monographs, Volume 3)

This product is not available separately, it is only sold as part of a set. There are 750 products in the set and these are all sold as one entity, Implants into the human body, such as hip joints, heart valves and dental crowns, have been increasingly used over the last 40 years or so, and many patients have benefited from their use. But how much is known about the metals, ceramics and polymers that are used in these repairs? This book provides a state-of-the-art account of the chemistry of the synthetic materials used in medicine and dentistry. It looks at the properties and interactions of these materials within the body at a molecular level, and includes discussion of bioengineering and cell biology. In addition, there is an account of the surgical procedures used, as well as extensive coverage of the possible biological reactions to the presence of foreign materials in the body. A brief look at the emerging field of tissue engineering completes the text. Fully referenced, with detailed reviews of the current literature, The Chemistry of Medical and Dental Materials will be an essential starting-point for all those in academia and industry who are involved in the development of new and improved repair materials Artificial implants are seeing growing use in a number of branches of medicine and knowledge of the chemistry of those implants provides needed information about the nature of surface behavior, potential for degradation, and even, at the molecular level, their biological interactions. Nicholson (King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK) describes the chemical properties of polymers, ceramics, metals, and hybrids. A separate chapter is devoted to the variety of biological responses and appropriate safety testing. The final chapter discusses tissue engineering.