Vascular graft You want to design a vascular graft. List some advantages and disadvantages with each of the three major types (metals, ceramics, and polymers) of biomaterials. Which would you choose for this application? What specific material characteristics need to be considered for the arterial graft application? Would you use a natural or synthetic material for this application? What are advantages and disadvantages of each? Solution One common biomaterial application is the construction of an arterial graft, a device that replaces a section of an artery. An artery is flexible blood vessel that can withstand varying pressures and regulates the blood flow. Arteries also provide a smooth interior surface to prevent and type of blood clotting inside. Biomaterial Metals: Advantages: Strong, mouldable, stiff, electrically conductive, and surface roughness can encourage cell growth and integration of the material, may be inexpensive (than steel) Disadvantages: In-flexible, non-lubricating , can corrode in biological systems. Biomaterial Ceramic: Advantages: Strong , stiff and inert Disadvantages: Rigid, brittle and non-lubricating. Biomaterial polymers: Advantages: Lubricating, compliant, low weight, flexible, formed in-vivo(thermoplastic bone cements) Disadvantages: Certain types can be expensive, weak, degrades through releasing particles delaminating. I would use polymers because of its elasticity. 2. Flexibility is very important, and a material should also possess a certain tensile strength. The surface properties of materials such as smoothness and hydrophobicity must also be considered in terms of its ability to support adhesion of endothelial cells or not cause any damage to platelets. Moreover, the material should be easy to shape. 3. A natural polymer would be more likely to integrate into the surrounding tissues. However, natural polymers may not possess the necessary mechanical properties for this application. There is also possibility of evoking an immune response or a pathogen transmission. Synthetic polymers could be manufactured to have the necessary mechanical properties but may not integrate well wth native tissue. Either natural or synthetic is acceptable with proper justification..