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reportImplants, Surgery and Coatings
7.5.6 Application and perspectives
Novel materials, techniques and coatings for implants and stents have enabled the creation of implants with much higher biocompatibility and integration. The ability to control and encourage effective cell growth and differentiation using novel nanostructured materials or nanotopography significantly improves the function and lifetime of implants. More recently there has been interest in ‘smart' implants that are dual purpose. For example, implants that can also deliver anti-infection medication or bone implants seeded with magnetic nanoparticles to treat bone cancer. These will allow improved treatment of diseases and significantly reduce patient discomfort. Reproducible, accurate and scaleable methods of patterning surfaces with nanoscale features are required for the production of new implants.
The anti-bacterial properties of silver are well known; however the safety of using silver nanoparticles, particularly on open wounds, should be addressed.
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