Biomaterials test could prevent medical trauma

Researchers led by Dr Nicholas Farr from the University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering have developed an oxidative stress test that can form the basis of an early-warning system to identify biomaterials that are not suitable for clinical use inside the human body. The team’s findings have been published in RSC Advances.

Compared to current methods, the new approach is claimed to be better at simulating deployment environments and identify cracks and surface degradation in biomaterials.

The test subjects biomaterials to oxidation and mechanical stresses, which would be experienced inside a patient, and can give biomaterials producers a better understanding of how their materials will perform over time in clinical use and any issues that are likely to occur should they be used as a medical treatment.

MORE FROM MATERIALS

The researchers developed their procedure by evaluating a type of surgical mesh made of polypropylene (PP mesh), which has been used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, a condition that affects 50 per cent of postmenopausal women. The use of PP mesh has caused life-changing complications in thousands of women and led to medical negligence lawsuits.