Biomaterials have had a major impact on the practice of contemporary medicine and patient care. Growing into a major interdisciplinary effort involving chemists, biologists, engineers, and physicians, biomaterials development has enabled the creation of high-quality devices, implants, and drug carriers with greater biocompatibility and biofunctionality. The fast-paced research and increasing interest in finding new and improved biocompatible or biodegradable polymers has provided a wealth of new information, transforming this edition of Polymeric Biomaterials into a two-volume set.

This volume, Polymeric Biomaterials: Structure and Function, contains 25 authoritative chapters written by experts from around the world. Contributors cover the following topics:

• The structure and properties of synthetic polymers including polyesters, polyphosphazenes, and elastomers
• The structure and properties of natural polymers such as mucoadhesives, chitin, lignin, and carbohydrate derivatives
• Blends and composites—for example, metal–polymer composites and biodegradable polymeric/ceramic composites
• Bioresorbable hybrid membranes, drug delivery systems, cell bioassay systems, electrospinning for regenerative medicine, and more

Completely revised and expanded, this state-of-the-art reference presents recent developments in polymeric biomaterials: from their chemical, physical, and structural properties to polymer synthesis and processing techniques and current applications in the medical and pharmaceutical fields.