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Defense Intelligence Reference Document Biomaterials

Defense Intelligence Agency · 32 pages · text from the file's own layer

This Defense Intelligence Agency reference document, dated 7 January 2010 and prepared under the Acquisition Threat Support series, surveys biomaterials used in medicine. It covers biocompatibility, biosensor membranes, silicones, Teflon, biodegradable polymers, hydrogels, titanium, bioceramics, tissue constructs, cardiovascular stents, contact lenses, drug delivery and dialysis. It concludes that biomaterial performance underlies many medical devices, that the industry is slow to adopt new materials because of testing costs, and that innovation mainly involves new applications of established materials.

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Two common ceramics used in
dentistry and hip prostheses are
alumina and hydroxyapatite (HA). HA
is a major component of the inorganic
compartment of bone. Commercially
prepared HA is processed using a
technique of phosphoric acid and
hydrothermal exchange that produces
a porous, "bone-like" morphology in
the resulting structure. Figure 16
shows this result. When implanted
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into bone defects, HA supports bone
growth through the pores and, thus,
becomes an intermediate scaffold, as
well as an eventual support matrix.
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Hydroxyapatite composites have been
successfully used to repair,
reconstruct, and replace diseased or
damaged body parts, especially bone.
They have been used in vertebral
prostheses, intervertebral spacers,
bone grafting, middle-ear bone
replacements, and jawbone repair.
Figure 16. Hydroxyapatite Porous Bane.:.Llke Structure
After Commercial Processing
Aluminum oxide, or alumina (A'2OJ), has been used in orthopedic surgery for more than
20 years as the joint surface in total hip prostheses because of its exceptionally low
coefficient of friction and minimal wear rates. Alumina has excellent corrosion
resistance, good biocompatibility, high strength, and high wear resistance, making it
ideal for orthopedic applications.
Other bioceramics include coral
skeletons, which can be transformed
into hydroxyapatite by high
temperatures. Their porous structure
allows relatively rapid ingrowth of
living cells at the expense of initial
mechanical strength. The high
temperature also burns away any
organic molecules, such as proteins,
preventing graft-versus-host disease
and rejection.
Bioceramics made from a calcium
phosphate material containing tiny
pores have been used to coat metal
joint implants or as unloaded space
fillers for bone Ingrowth. Tissue
ingrowth into the pores occurs, with
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Figure 17. Bloceramic Used in Artificial Hip
Replacement Component
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Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 32 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.