“This text is intended for orthopedic surgeons, engineers and researchers interested in bioceramics and biomedical polyethylene used in joint implants. There is an ever-growing demand for better joint replacement biomaterials that are optimal for a younger, more active, obese, and longer lived patient population. A comprehensive approach that takes into account the nano- and macroscale properties of biomaterials, better manufacturing, quality control and packaging, better patient selection, innovative surgical techniques, infection control, and a proactive effort by hospitals to screen the implants for potential defects before implantation is required to meet this demand. Advanced Materials for Joint Implants addresses many of these issues. It is an excellent resource for anyone interested in understanding how biomaterial properties at the molecular scale can be linked to macroscopic joint implant performance. This book provides a critical review of various generations of bioceramics (e.g. alumina and zirconia), cross-linked polyethylene, and metal implants used in joint replacement. It provides a refresher on various tribiological analysis and non-destructive biomaterials characterization techniques such Raman and Infrared Spectroscopy. Throughout the book, there are many examples of tissue and implant retrieval analysis using various spectroscopic methods. Pezzotti also explains the use of analytical tools to evaluate traditional in vitro implant test results that do not account for in vivo factors such as stress and corrosive nature of body fluids. A thorough discussion of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene–based implants is also outlined and provides an excellent explanation on how spectroscopic methods can be used to differentiate between creep and wear in polyethylene-based implants. The book also contains a dedicated chapter on future trends in joint replacements. The author provides the reader with a concise review of the latest advances in joint replacement materials, including vitamin E–infused polyethylene, metal–ceramic hybrid components, novel surgical techniques, and future biomaterial choices for joint implants. In summary, Advanced Materials for Joint Implants, by Giuseppe Pezzotti, is an excellent reference source for the dedicated materials scientist or orthopaedic surgeon who desires an up-to-date and in-depth text in the ever-changing field of materials science and joint implant surgery.”
~BioMedical Engineering OnLine
This book is an invaluable guide to the physical and chemical features of bioceramics as applied to implants for joint replacement. Improving the longevity of implants on active, aging population is a priority, and the beneficial cross-talk between material scientists, biologists and clinicians should reflect a thorough knowledge of novel materials. The advanced analytical methods described here unveil significant insights into the intimate structure and properties of bioceramics and offer a powerful tool to all scientists and clinicians who are involved in this promising field of translational research.
~Prof. Nicola Baldini, University of Bologna, Italy
Readers will definitely enjoy the fruits of dazzling progress in biomaterials science and spectroscopic technology vividly described in this book by Prof. Giuseppe Pezzotti. The deep scientific knowledge reported in it will further promote new studies for scientists as well as for clinicians working in the field of joint arthroplasty. This book could effectively contribute to the future developments of next-generation products responding to the increasing expectations of patients and orthopaedic surgeons. In addition, I have great expectations that the introduced novel spectroscopic approaches could provide the final deterministic evaluation tool needed for screening individual joint implants before being delivered to the surgery room, a process which is definitely needed for strengthening and completing the regulatory procedures of new products made by the PMDA in Japan and the FDA in the United States.
~Prof. Kengo Yamamoto, Tokyo Medical University, Japan
This book presents the most updated and basic knowledge about the biomechanics of artificial hip and knee joints from the macroscopic to the molecular scale. It covers advanced biomaterials, including alumina and zirconia ceramics and their composites and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. The latest developments in methods of characterizing these biomaterials are also explained at the outset so that readers get updated with new analytical techniques. The book will help young doctors and researchers to better understand the past failure patterns, and it proposes innovative ideas in the field of joint arthroplasty, thus giving fundamental hints for realistic breakthroughs in the time to come.
~Dr. Nobuhiko Sugano, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
This book is an excellent review of the ceramic and polymeric materials that constitute advanced orthopaedic prosthetic materials. After an introduction, a chapter is devoted to characterisation techniques, which is exceptionally well written and, like all the chapters, is very well referenced with sufficient illustrations to highlight the basis of the technique. Perhaps a small additional section on traditional X-ray diffraction may have been of benefit for the clinically based reader. The following chapters deal with alumina, zirconia, alumina–zirconia composites and, most important, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethelene (UHMWPE). The detail the author devotes to these different systems considering their intrinsic properties, factors that determine the strength, toughness and wear behaviour and, in the case of zirconia, the polymorphic transformations is impressive. The author highlights the critical need for more research on the properties of and means for reliably improving UHMWPE. This is a substantial and excellent text and should be on the bookshelf of every orthopaedic surgeon and medical library. I am unaware of any other text that matches the thoroughness of this contribution.
~Prof. Michael Swain, University of Otago, New Zealand
This book is the most comprehensive and informative source of information on implants for orthopaedic prostheses yet available. It draws on Prof. Pezzotti’s extensive knowledge covering fracture mechanics of ceramics and environmentally induced chemical changes of ceramics and their subsequent interactions. It also includes Prof. Pezzotti’s excellent insights into the chemical and structural characterisation of materials. The importance of bringing these factors together to understand the issues associated with biomedical implants is key and has never been properly addressed to date. I am sure this publication would be of great interest to surgeons, students, prostheses designers and scientists.
~Prof. Mark Hoffman, The University of New South Wales, Australia
This book, written by one of the most recognized authors in the field, represents an outstanding review of state-of-the-art and future trends concerning materials for joint prosthesis applications. With more than one thousand references, the book covers the fields of ceramic and polymer materials, with emphasis on their characterization from the nano- to the macro-scale, microstructure-properties relations and lifetime. It gives clear features of what the future could be in this important societal area. This is an excellent reference for university teachers and a source of inspiration for students and engineers.
~Prof. Jérôme Chevalier, University of Lyon—INSA Lyon, France
