Amazon.com description: Product Description: The contributions in this volume provide a critical assessment of the characteristics of common and new biomaterials used in orthopaedic and maxillo-facial surgery, with regard to their resistance to degradation and the associated biological responses of the human body. The topics covered include the properties of metallic, ceramic and polymeric materials, and their applications in modern surgery, particularly in the orthopaedic and dental fields. Their degradation is analysed in detail, from both the negative and positive aspects. Written by eminent scientists from a variety of basic and applied disciplines, the papers will be a useful and dynamic tool for those wishing to increase their knowledge of biomaterials, as well as providing a guide to recent literature in this field.