Polymers in Medicine

Abstract

Polymers have truly revolutionized modern medicine. Healthcare and everyday life are unimaginable without their wide-ranging use. Often it becomes necessary to completely replace a damaged organ or tissue. This is possible via transplantation or implantation. Transplantation brings up a number of problems: include scientific, moral-ethical, legal issues. Existing tissue and organ banks can only satisfy about 10% of general demand and in transplant cases the most important problem is compatibility of cells. The use of polymeric materials solves all of the above problems. Polymers and polymer-based materials are extensively applied in reconstructive surgery, traumatology, orthopedics, dentistry, ophthalmology, for prosthetics of damaged organs, and so on. Special preference is given to synthetic polymeric materials because their production process allows targeted modification of the properties. Unlike donor organs, polymers have very low immunogenicity, which reduces the risk of incompatibility and the possibility of rejection by the immune system. Every implant must meet certain requirements: they must be biologically inert, maintain the necessary physical and mechanical properties for long periods of time, and possess extremely high purity (impurities must not exceed 10^(-5)- 10^(-6)%). Polymers are also used in “targeted drug delivery systems,” protecting medications from inactivation and ensuring their gradual release. Current research aims to increase the longevity, functional universality, and miniaturization of artificial organs.