Orthopedic materials

Despite the evidence for the cytotoxicity of CNTs, there are an increasing number of published studies that support the potential development of CNT-based biomaterials for tissue regeneration (e.g., neuronal substrates [143] and orthopedic materials [154—156]), cancer treatment [157], and drug/vaccine delivery systems [158, 159]. Most of these applications will involve the implantation and/or administration of such materials into patients as for any therapeutic or diagnostic agent used, the toxic potential of the CNTs must be evaluated in relation to their potential benefits [160]. For this reason, detailed investigations of the interactions between CNTs/CNT-based implants and various cell types have been carried out [154, 155, 161]. A comprehensive description of such results, however, is beyond the scope of this chapter. Extensive reviews on the biocompatibility of implantable CNT composite materials [21, 143, 162] and of CNT drug-delivery systems [162] are available. 

Elias et al. [21] CNT-containing orthopedic materials Osteoblasts - inoculation on material Increase of osteoblast proliferation, increase of alkaline phosphatase activity, absence of cytotoxicity... 

Nanotechnology-Enhanced Orthopedic Materials Fabrications, AppUcations and Future Trends... 

R.G. LeBaron, K.A. Athanasiou, Extracellular matrix cell adhesion peptides functional applications in orthopedic materials. Tissue Eng. 6 (2000) 85-103. 

Agrawal, C.M., Athanasiou, K.A. and Heckman, J.D. (1997) Biodegradable PLA-PGA polymers for tissue engineering in orthopedics. Materials Science Forum, 250, 115-128. 

Nanotechnology-Enhanced Orthopedic Materials. http //dx.doi.oi l0.1016/B978-0-85709-844-3.00001-X... 

This book will focus on a subfield of bionanotechnology and nanomedicine, nanotechnology-enhanced orthopedic materials, which is a specific interdisciplinary area of chemistry, physics, materials sciences, and orthopedics. This book will deliver a comprehensive overview of the field, infused with both great opportunities and challenges, with a particular interest in the fabrications, modifications, and applications of these materials. Furthermore, the book will explore novel nanomaterials with great potential for future applications, as well as the rationale and methodology of applying such materials for orthopedic purposes. 

Nanotechnology-enhanced orthopedic materials are centered on a great number of nanomaterials and nanostrnctnres with exceptional physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties. Creation of appropriate nanomaterials is a key issne for their orthopedic applications. Herein, basic knowledge on general fabrication and modification of nanomaterials is presented. Starting in the next chapter, detailed fabrication and modification techniqnes of each category of nanomaterials for orthopedic uses will be introduced individually. 

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