Shaped biotextiles medical implants

Gupta, B.S., 2013. Shaped biotextiles for medical implants. In Guidoin, R., King, M.W., Gupta, B.S. (Eds.), Biotextiles as Medical Implants. GB Elsevier. 

After a fiber or yam is produced, it is then fabricated into a textile stmcture in order to obtain the desired form, shape, and mechanical properties for a medical device. There are four alternative types of textile stmctures that are typically used for medical devices. They include wovens, knits, braids, and nonwovens. Each stmcture has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, woven fabrics are usually stronger and more dimensionally stable and can be fabricated with lower porosities, but are stiffer, less flexible, and more difficult to handle. Knits, on the other hand, have higher permeability and flexibility compared to woven fabrics, but may dilate after implantation. Braids have high longitudinal tensile properties, but can be unstable when subjected to torsional loads. Thus, the type of textile stmcture should be carefully selected when designing the biotextile device, and the medical application and the site of implantation should be taken into account. 

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