Biomedical composites orthopedic applications

Another example of composites in biomedical applications is graphite-fiber-reinforced bone cement. Self-curing poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, is used extensively as a bone cement in orthopedic surgery for fixation of endoprostheses... 

In the 1970s, carbon fiber-reinforced (CFR) UHMWPE composites were considered for orthopedic implants and were even commercially introduced (Poly 11, Zimmer, Inc., Warsaw, Indiana, USA). However, catastrophic short-term clinical failures [2, 3] eventually led to the abandonment of Poly 11 and the perception for decades, among surgeons and researchers alike, that UHMWPE composite materials may not be appropriate for orthopedic bearing applications. Today, with the interest in UHMWPE development that was stimulated by radiation and thermal processing techniques, as well as the growing use of UHMWPE composites in nonmedical arenas, there is renewed curiosity about these materials for biomedical applications. 

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