| Abstract Scope |
Bone adhesives are promising materials for orthopedic and trauma surgery, where bone repair, regeneration, or reconstruction is involved. Bioresorbable bone adhesives that gradually resorb after application are especially attractive, as follow-up procedures can be avoided upon bone healing. The same is true with biodegradable polymers, which can be used to fabricate scaffolds and other medical devices that gradually degrade after implantation while facilitating defect reconstruction or damaged tissue healing. At the same time, metals are known for their excellent mechanical properties, allowing them to be used in various orthopedic applications where high load-bearing capacity is needed. For all the different material classes to be used for biomedical applications, it is especially important to consider their mechanical and biological properties. For example, bioceramic-based bone adhesives are typically brittle and possess low fracture resistance, while polymeric materials are bioinert and would benefit from increased bioactivity. Combining different clinically relevant materials to create composite scaffolds is an efficient strategy to address the limitations of the constituent materials. |