Structural Interfaces and Attachments in Biology

Attachment of dissimilar materials in engineering and surgical practice is a perennial challenge. Bimaterial attachment sites are common locations for injury, repeated injury, and mechanical failure. Nature presents several highly effective solutions to the challenge of bimaterial attachment that differ from those found in engineering practice. Structural Interfaces and Attachments in Biology describes the attachment of dissimilar materials from multiple perspectives. The text will simultaneously elucidate natural bimaterial attachments and outline engineering principles underlying successful attachments to the communities of tissue engineers and surgeons. Included an in-depth analysis of the biology of attachments in the body and mechanisms by which robust attachments are formed, a review of current concepts of attaching dissimilar materials in surgical practice and a discussion of bioengineering approaches that are currently being developed. This book also: Provides the first comprehensive treatment of physiologic attachment from the engineering perspective Presents the first treatment of engineering attachment in the context of schemes observed in nature Discusses current surgical techniques for soft tissue to bone healing and repair Explains synthesis of bioengineered and biomimetic interfaces Structural Interfaces and Attachments in Biology is an ideal book for graduate students in mechanical and biomedical engineering, researchers in the area of orthopedic biomechanics, structural engineers, and residents in orthopedic surgery.