The current interest in developing novel materials has motivated an
increasing need for biological and medical studies in a variety of
dinical applications. Indeed, it is dear that to achieve the requisite
mechanical, chemical and biomedical properties, especially for new
bioactive materials, it is necessary to develop novel synthesis routes.
The tremendous success of materials science in developing new
biomaterials and fostering technological innovation arises from its
focus on interdisciplinary research and collaboration between materials
and medical sciences. Materials scientists seek to relate one natural
phenomenon to the basic structures of the materials and to recognize the
causes and effects of the phenomena. In this way, they have developed
explanations for the changing of the properties, the reactions of the
materials to the environment, the interface behaviors between the
artificial materials and human tissue, the time effects on the
materials, and many other natural occurrences. By the same means,
medical scientists have also studied the biological and medical effects
of these materials, and generated the knowledge needed to produce useful
medical devices. The concept of biomaterials is one of the most
important ideas ever generated by the application of materials science
to the medical field. In traditional materials research, interest
focuses primarilyon the synthesis, structure, and mechanical properties
of materials commonly used for structural purposes in industry, for
instance in mechanical parts of machinery.