Bio-based environmentally benign polymeric resorbable materials for orthopedic fixation applications
Arbind Prasad, Gourhari Chakraborty, Ashwani Kumar
Abstract
Metal internal fixation for orthopedic fracture fixations has many limitations such as stress shielding, leaching of ions, corrosion, and stress palpability. It was also observed that in the case of metallic fixation devices, the underlying bone gets damaged and many factors also arise. Owing to their non-corrosion in the body, biocompatibility, and superior strength the biodegradable polymers for various biomedical applications over the last decade have been in growing state. The resorbable polymers can be easily customized and tailored as per the requirement. The combination of the polymers and nanofillers also plays a vital role in developing or mimicking the composite as natural bone. In this chapter, we will deal with many resorbable materials for bone fixation, their properties, mechanism of degradation, and the latest work in this field. This chapter also covers the applications of the composites in the near future and the challenges associated with it.