Surface Modification of Polymeric Biomaterials

Abstract

Summary: The effectiveness of a biomaterial placed into the body or in contact with the body is strongly dependent on its interactions with the body fluids and cells. These interactions determine how the body elements accept the material. Thus, depending on the specific application area of the biomaterial, it is necessary to understand cell-material, tissue-material, and blood-material interactions in order to optimize the properties of the material. The response of the host organism to biomaterials at macroscopic, cellular, and molecular levels is especially related with the properties of the surface of the material as that is the part that first comes in contact and reacts. In implants, tissue engineering scaffolds, and many other biomedical fields, surface engineering of the biomaterial, especially of polymeric biomaterials, is often required, and the surface is modified physically and/or chemically. This demand is either in the direction of no cell adhesion, as in the case of stents, or in the opposite direction to promote cell adhesion and proliferation, as in tissue engineering applications. This chapter focuses on the principles and practices of surface engineering techniques applied to biomedical polymers and aims to provide an insight to the reader about the field. The physical, chemical, biological, and radiation techniques are discussed as well as some specific modifications to enhance the surface biocompatibility, blood compatibility, and antibacterial properties in an attempt to create a sophisticated, functional surface for specific biointeractions. © 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.