NSF Award
9461343
Plastics have become commonplace in biomaterial applications. In diverse uses ranging from intraocular lenses to vascular prostheses, polymers are often the materials of choice because their unique combination of properties provide excellent mimics of natural systems. However, plastics have been of limited use in load-bearing applications (such as bone replacements or supports) because of their poor mechanical properties. Unfortunately, the metals that are used as bone substitutes are also not ideal because they are much stronger and stiffer than natural bone and promote the resorption of surrounding tissue. A family of substituted poly (para-phenylene) thermoplastics, Poly-Xá, has recently been developed at Maxdem which offers promise in load-bearing biomaterial applications. The mechanical properties of these unreinforced polymers are fortuitously very similar to natural bone materials. In addition, these polymers feature exceptional scratch resistances that could translate into outstanding wear properties. Coupling these properties with the facile processing requirements and potentially low cost of Poly-Xá materials, make these polymers an exciting alternative for the next generation of load-bearing orthopedic devices. This proposal addresses preliminary wear and toxicity measurements on these truly remarkable materials.
