A dozen papers from a May 1993 symposium in Atlanta, Georgia, in which clinicians explain what requirements they seek in devices they use to repair or replace fractured bone, and bioengineers and manufacturers explain what they can do and what information the need to do more. They cover screws, mate

This thesis presents the design, analysis and testing of a bone plate for mandibular fracture fixation. Conventional bone plates are commonly used to set fractures of the mandible in a surgical setting. If proper alignment between the two bone segments is not achieved, then a malocclusion can result; this condition often causes significant discomfort to the patient, and may require costly and risky revision surgery to repair. Current methods of bone plate fixation require a surgeon to visually align the segments of bone, and once the plate has been affixed to the bone, there is little that can be done to adjust alignment of the fracture. The modified bone plate presented here has a deformable mid-section, with the purpose of allowing a surgeon to compensate for mis-alignment observed after the plate has been affixed to the fractured bone. The mechanics of deformation associated with various adjustment mechanisms was explored analytically, numerically, and experimentally. It was found that in order to plastically deform the adjustable section, a force of 358.8 N is required, compared with a predicted value of 351 N obtained using numerical simulations and 487 N using a fixed-fixed beam model with a concentrated central load. In addition to static tests, a dynamic testing jig has been designed with the intent of evaluating in vitro performance of the modified bone plate. Current ASTM and ISO standards for bone plate testing require forces to be applied to the faces of the bone plate, orthogonal to the direction of loading experienced in vivo. This condition is applicable to long bones such as the humerus or femur, however loading conditions of the mandible are significantly different. The testing jig allows for any bone plate of any shape to be fixed such that a force can be applied in order to simulate the normal in vivo loading conditions. This system could be used to further optimize the design of current and future deformable bone plates before they are incorporated into invasive animal or clinical trials.

Thirty papers presented at a 1994 symposium cover the basic materials science issues regarding the processing of titanium alloys, and the controversy regarding their use in medicine. Coverage includes orthopaedic, dental, and cardiovascular applications, with a primary focus on the orthopaedic. Info

The success of any implant or medical device depends very much on the biomaterial used. Synthetic materials (such as metals, polymers and composites) have made significant contributions to many established medical devices. The aim of this book is to provide a basic understanding on the engineering and processing aspects of biomaterials used in medical applications. Of paramount importance is the tripartite relationship between material properties, processing methods and design. As the target audiences cover a wide interdisciplinary field, each chapter is written with a detailed background so that audience of another discipline will be able to understand. For the more knowledgeable reader, a detailed list of references is included.

This unique multidisciplinary 8-volume set focuses on the emerging issues concerning synthesis, characterization, design, manufacturing and various other aspects of composite materials from renewable materials and provides a shared platform for both researcher and industry. The Handbook of Composites from Renewable Materials comprises a set of 8 individual volumes that brings an interdisciplinary perspective to accomplish a more detailed understanding of the interplay between the synthesis, structure, characterization, processing, applications and performance of these advanced materials. The Handbook comprises 169 chapters from world renowned experts covering a multitude of natural polymers/ reinforcement/ fillers and biodegradable materials. Volume 5 is solely focused on 'Biodegradable Materials'. Some of the important topics include but not limited to: Rice husk and its composites; biodegradable composites based on thermoplastic starch and talc nanoparticles; recent progress in biocomposites of biodegradable polymer; microbial polyesters: production and market; biodegradable and bioabsorbable materials for osteosynthesis applications; biodegradable polymers in tissue engineering; composites based on hydroxyapatite and biodegradable polylactide; biodegradable composites; development of membranes from biobased materials and their applications; green biodegradable composites based on natural fibers; fully biodegradable all-cellulose composites; natural fiber composites with bioderivative and/or degradable polymers; synthetic biodegradable polymers for bone tissue engineering; polysaccharides as green biodegradable platforms for building up electroactive composite materials; biodegradable polymer blends and composites from seaweeds; biocomposites scaffolds derived from renewable resources for bone tissue repair; pectin-based composites; recent advances in conductive composites based on biodegradable polymers for regenerative medicine applications; biosynthesis of PHAs and their biomedical applications; biodegradable soy protein isolate/poly(vinyl alcohol) packaging films; and biodegradability of biobased polymeric materials in natural environment.