Ceramics Used In Medical Applications

Clinical use of alternative zirconia based ceramics and composites.

Ceramics used in medical applications.

The aim of this perspective is to present an overview of the different types of ceramics available for medical applications focused mainly on bioactive glasses. Engineering ceramics are used to fabricate components for applications in many industrial sectors including ceramic substrates for electronic devices fig. Ceramics are now commonly used in the medical fields as dental and bone implants. Ceramic based components are indispensable in products such as smartphones computers televisions automotive electronics and medical devices.

Biomaterials share with all other engineering materials the classification into the traditional categories of metals ceramics polymers and composites. Other examples of where advanced ceramics are used include oil free bearings in food processing equipment. Discover the world s research. High tech ceramics have always been associated to medical devices.

Orthopedic procedures that involve the surgical installment of these implants are aimed at replacing hip knee joint cranio maxillofacial and spinal hard tissues and are becoming very. The nearly 4 5 trillion global electronics industry would not exist without ceramics. In electronic and electrical industries advanced ceramic materials like barium titanate batio3 piezoelectric materials and semiconductor materials are heavily used for producing ceramic capacitors vibratos temperature sensors oscillators etc. They are used today as femoral heads and acetabular cups for total hip replacement dental implants and restorations bone fillers and scaffolds for tissue engineering.

The need for tough strong and stable bioinert ceramics 2 1 1. Are primarily used for medical implants either in the form of bulk components or as coatings or fillers. Yttria stabilised zirconia was the ceramic gold standard in terms of strength and toughness see table 1 but its lack of long term stability is a major issue for medical use. Surgical cermets are used regularly.

Here we describe their current clinical use and propose a picture of their evolutions for the next 20 years. Ceramics for the human body are called bioceramics. 3 turbocharger rotors fig. Biomaterials may be defined as those engineered materials used specifically for medical applications.

Ceramic materials are used in a wide range of applications from power distribution to smartphones. Joint replacements are commonly coated with bioceramic materials to reduce wear and inflammatory response. The history of biomaterials can be represented by the use of metallic implants. Other examples of medical uses for bioceramics are in pacemakers kidney dialysis machines and respirators.

Ceramic materials have been produced for custom practices for centuries but they are a rather modern development in medical processes and applications used in surgical implants prosthetics and various medical tools and devices medical ceramics change lives.