Table 3.
Biomaterials classification with their advantages, disadvantages, and applications.
| Type | Advantages | Disadvantages | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metals and metal alloys | * High material strength | * Corrosive | * Orthopedic implants, screws, pins, and plates |
| E.g.,: gold, platinum, titanium, steel, chromium, cobalt | * Easy to fabricate and sterilize | * Aseptic loosening | |
| * Excessive elastic modulus | |||
| Ceramics and carbon compounds | * High material strength | * Difficult to mold | * Bioactive orthopedic implants |
| E.g.,: calcium phosphate salts (HA), glass, oxides of aluminum and titanium | * Biocompatibility | * Excessive elastic modulus | * Dental implants |
| * Corrosion resistance | * Artificial hearing aids | ||
| Polymers | * Biodegradable | * Leachable in body fluids | * Orthopedic and dental implants |
| * Biocompatible | * Hard to sterilize | * Prostheses | |
| * Easily moldable and readily available | * Tissue engineering scaffolds | ||
| E.g.,: PMMA*, Polycaprolactone(PCL), PLA, polycarbonates, polyurethanes | * Suitable mechanical strength | * Drug delivery systems | |
| Composites | * Excellent mechanical properties | * Expensive | * Porous orthopedic implants |
| E.g.,: Dental filling composites, carbon fiber reinforced methyl methacrylate bone cement + ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene | * Corrosive resistant | * Laborious manufacturing methods | * Dental fillings |
| * Rubber catheters and gloves |
* PMMA—poly (methyl methacrylate).