This chapter provides a new way of classifying biomaterials and gives extensive information about the wide range of biomaterials that are either in current clinical use or showing considerable potential for clinical applications in the near future. There are six primary classes of biomaterials – metallic, polymeric and ceramics systems, carbons, composites and engineered tissues. In each of these classes you will see how real biomaterials are based on the principles of materials science, biology and biocompatibility given in the early chapters but also how they are adapted and modified to suit the specific requirements of the various clinical disciplines and medical technologies.

In this chapter, we bring together the details of all currently used biomaterials and those that appear to have considerable potential for the future. This is an extensive although not exhaustive list of the properties and the applications for each material and gives a generic classification of biomaterials, with an indication of their advantages and disadvantages.