But biobased biomedical materials are not new. Linen and cotton have been used for bandages for centuries, for instance, largely because of their absorbent properties. This article is not so much about the common biomedical materials as about the ‘new generation’, with the focus on biopolymers which can replace their fossil counterparts. ‘The bulk of biomedical materials – materials which are used in the human body in the healing process – are of fossil origin,’ says Menno Knetsch, associate professor Biobased Materials at Maastricht University. ‘Metal alloys and silicones are also used. Some examples are surgical mesh made from PP, catheters made from PU, metal stents and metal alloys for hip prostheses.’
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