PEEK Biomaterials Handbook

PEEK biomaterials are currently used in thousands of spinal fusion patients around the world every year. Durability, biocompatibility and excellent resistance to aggressive sterilization procedures make PEEK a polymer of choice replacing metal in orthopedic implants, from spinal implants and hip replacements to finger joints and dental implants. This Handbook brings together experts in many different facets related to PEEK clinical performance as well as in the areas of materials science, tribology, and biology to provide a complete reference for specialists in the field of plastics, biomaterials, medical device design and surgical applications. Steven Kurtz, author of the well respected UHMWPE Biomaterials Handbook and Director of the Implant Research Center at Drexel University, has developed a one-stop reference covering the processing and blending of PEEK, its properties and biotribology, and the expanding range of medical implants using PEEK: spinal implants, hip and knee replacement, etc. Full coverage of the properties and applications of PEEK, the leading polymer for spinal implants. PEEK is being used in a wider range of new applications in biomedical engineering, such as hip and knee replacements, and finger joints. These new application areas are explored in detail. Essential reference for plastics enginers, biomedical engineers and orthopedic professionals involved in the use of the PEEK polymer, and medical implants made from PEEK.