Polymeric Biomaterials

Drawn from a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Biopolymers held in Izmir, Turkey, from 27 August to 5 September 1984, this collection gathers sixteen contributions from invited speakers, revised with additional material shaped by the discussions at the meeting. Edited by Erhan Piskin and Allan S. Hoffman, it surveys the current state of knowledge across the whole field of polymeric biomaterials.

The chapters cover how these materials are classified, structured and composed, along with their synthesis, modification and fabrication. They also examine the physical and chemical processes that occur when polymers come into contact with living systems, and how blood and tissue respond. A further focus is on altering polymers by physical, chemical or biochemical means to make them more biocompatible.

The book closes with a look at applications in medicine, dentistry, biotechnology, pharmacology and related disciplines. It is aimed at researchers and specialists in biomaterials science. Acknowledgements credit the NATO Scientific Affairs Division, Hacettepe University and the Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council for their support.