About composite materials and their use in bone surgery.

Composite materials consist of two or even more different material components or phases, which are combined with the aim to improve physical, mechanical and/or biological properties. Such structures are designed to fulfil very specific requirements with respect to a selected device application making full use of their higher weight-specific strength and/or stiffness. Furthermore, these materials offer an opportunity for constructing radiolucent devices. In medical technology, composite materials mainly consist of a polymer matrix and fibres as a reinforcement phase. Composites similar to those known from technical applications reveal a number of specific biological problems. This is due to the materials and manufacturing processes available for the construction of such composites preventing their unrestricted use in direct bone contact. Nevertheless, an application potential for these materials in bone surgery exists and justifies further research and development efforts.