| Abstract Scope |
Medical implants are synthetic devices or tissues that are placed inside the body to support, reconstruct, or replace damaged or diseased biological structures. With technological advances, today’s implants can also deliver medications or serve as sensors to monitor body functions. The long-term survivorship of the implant is dependent on the design of the implant including the materials, the surgical technique, and the host. This presentation will focus on the biological response to materials – also called the host response.
Biocompatibility is often discussed but frequently misunderstood. As described by Dr. James Anderson (Polymer Science: A Comprehensive Reference; 2012), biocompatibility is “the ability of a material to perform with an appropriate host response in a specific application.” However, host responses can range from bioinert to fibrous encapsulation to adverse responses (e.g., tissue lysis, pseudotumors, tumors). The reactions involved may engage similar cells. Therefore, it is important to appreciate the potential mechanisms involved in order to understand and predict biocompatibility as well as adverse events. |