BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS OF POLYMERS

Saneesh V S , Amal Raj R B - MSc. Biopolymer Science

• Bone fractures are

occasionally

repaired with the

use of PU, epoxy

resins and rapid-

curing vinyl resins.

• In hip-joint surgery

with the use

of stainless steel or

polyethylene ball

joints attached to

the femur by means

of a PMMA filler and

binder.

• Teflon fabric

and silicone

rubber have been

used to

make synthetic liga

ments and tendons.

• PMMA is the

principal polymer

used both for

acrylic teeth and for

the base material.

• A number of

polymers, PGA ,

poly(amino acid ester

phosphazenes) &

aliphatic poly-

anhydrides are all of

interest for this

application.

• Synthetic polymers have been investigated for

use in plasma substitutes and as volume

expanders to reduce the amount of whole

blood needed.

• Poly (Vinyl Pyrolidone) was used extensively

as a colloidal plasma substitute for the

treatment of casualties.

• Its disadvantages for this applications are

connected with its poor biodegradability.

• Rigid polymers

such as PMMA have

traditionally been

used for ‘hard’

contact lenses.

• A soft contact lens

is made from a

lightly cross linked,

water-soluble

polymer. They form

soft hydrogels , the

expanded shape of

which is defined at

the point of cross

linking.

• A replacement for

catgut is synthetic

poly(glycolic acid) or

condensation

copolymers of glycolic

acid with lactic acid.

• PGA has a high tensile

strength and is

compatible with

human tissue &

polymer degrades by

hydrolysis to nontoxic

glycolic acid.

• One important area in which the use of synthetic

polymers has generally been cautious and limited ,

that is field of medicine has become one of the

principal challenges facing the polymer scientists

• The types of synthetic polymers needed for

biomedical applications can be grouped roughly

into three categories

1. Polymers that are sufficiently biostable to allow

their long-term use in artificial organs.

2. Polymers that are biodegradable-materials that

will serve a short-term purpose in the body and

decompose to small molecules.

3. Polymers that are water soluble and that form part

of plasma or whole blood substitute solutions or

which function as macromolecular drugs

• Polymers such

as Silicone rubber, PU

rubber, Dacron

polyester, Teflon, PC,

PMMA, PVC etc can be

used.

• PUs are the most

commonly used flexible

biomaterials because it

have excellent flexing

strength.

• Silicone rubber is an

ideal bio- material due to

inert ,flexible & soft.

• Polymers based on the

poly(α-cyanoacrylate)

structure have proved to

be effective to glue

tissues together.

• Synthetic poly(amino

acid) films are used

as synthetic skin to

cover large burns.

Velours of nylon fiber

have also been tested for

this use, as have films of

poly(α-cyanoacrylates).

• The pace of revolutionary discoveries now in

synthetic Polymers applied for biomedicine is

expected to accelerate in the next decade

worldwide.

• A decade ago the application of synthetic

polymers in biomedicine was only a concept

with great potential.

“Today it‘s a reality & tomorrow it will flourish”

• Polymeric Biomaterials – Severian Dumitriu.

• Biomaterials & devices for the ciculatory

system – Gourlay & Richard

• BIOPOLYMERS-New Materials for Sustainable

Films & Coatings – David Plackett

• http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/