Edited by Heather N. Hayenga and Helim Aranda-Espinoza, CRC Press, 2017, ISBN: 978-1-4987-5268-8, xiv + 218 pages, $215
This two-editor, 27-contributor, 4-section, 11-chapter text touches on the topic of biomaterial mechanics in a mixture of contributions ranging from overview to highly specialized coverage of, for example, biomaterials in cancer research.
One of the publisher websites for this text contains the following abstract for this text, which reads (complete with spelling errors):
“This book describes the fundamental knowledge of mechanics and its application to biomaterials. An overivew [sic] of computer modeling in biomaterials is offered and multiple fields where biomaterials are used are reviewed with particular emphasis to the importance of the mechanical properties of biomaterials. The reader will obtain a better understanding of the current techniqus [sic] to synthesize, characterize, and integrate biomaterials into the human body.”
Part I (50 pages) of the text is titled “Principles of Biomaterial Mechanics” and consists of two chapters. Chapter 1, “Overview of Mechanical Behavior of Materials,” gives the reader a (junior level?) review of introductory mechanics of materials (stress–strain, etc.) a listing of common biomaterials, an overview of testing machines, and a mention of dynamic mechanical analysis of materials. Chapter 2, “Nonlinear Mechanics of Soft Biological Materials,” takes the reader quickly to the use of tensors (graduate level) in the analysis of materials, such as in an example of an artery under pressure.
Part II (96 pages) is titled “Biomaterials in Devices and Medicine” and consists of four chapters. Chapter 3, “Biomaterials in Devices,” consists of a very readable (and well-referenced) overview of metals, polymers, and ceramics and gives examples of use in orthopedics and dentistry. Chapter 4, titled “Biomaterials in Cancer Research, From Basic Understanding to Applications,” overviews, as per the title, the use of biomaterials for studying cancer invasion, tumor imaging, and therapeutics. Chapter 5, “The Cell as an Inspiration in Biomaterial Design,” overviews cells and cell structures (actin, liposomes, DNA, etc.) and modifications that may prove useful in biomaterials research and design. Chapter 6, titled “Interactions of Carbon Nanostructures with Lipid Membranes, A Nano–Bio Interface,” gives an overview of the use and potential uses of carbon nanotubes in various human organs, an overview of early uses, and the need to continue studies in this area.
Part III (50 pages) is titled “Modeling in Biomaterials.” Chapter 7 covers “Computational Model-Driven Design of Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts,” as per its title, concentrating at a fairly high level of discussion on current trials and needs, advanced mathematical modeling of the processes involved, and the needs for future research. In like fashion, Chapter 8, titled “Biomolecular Modeling in Biomaterials,” overviews efforts involving modeling of the kinetics of molecular interactions involving folding and aggregation. Chapter 9, “Finite Element Analysis in Biomaterials,” gives a quick introductory level overview of the how/what/why of finite element analysis of materials, such as bone, cartilage, and scaffolds, and evaluation of structures involving one or more of them.
Part IV, the end of the text, consists of only 16 pages, and is titled “Biomaterial Perspectives.” In six pages, the text of Chapter 10, “Perspectives on the Mechanics of Biomaterials in Medical Devices,” using the example of vascular stents, overviews the history, and likely future of better biomimetic materials. In 1.8 pages of text, Chapter 11, “A Perspective on the Impact of Additive Manufacturing on Future Biomaterials,” gives a brief mention of the present and potential future of 3-D fabrication of the future of biomaterial devices.
As the reader hopefully has inferred, this text is primarily a specialty item, it is not written for the generic undergraduate or graduate bioengineer. It is likely best used at the graduate applied biomaterials research level or in industry.
—Review by Paul H. King, Vanderbilt University