Silicone‐based biomaterials for biomedical applications: Antimicrobial strategies and 3D printing technologies

Abstract

Silicone is a synthetic polymer widely used in the biomedical industry as implantable devices since 1940, owing to its excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Silicone biomaterials are renowned for their biocompatibility due to their inert nature and hydrophobic surface. A timeline illustration shows critical development periods of using silicone in varied biomedical applications. In this review, silicone properties are discussed along with several biomedical applications, including medical inserts, speciality contact lenses, drains and shunts, urinary catheters, reconstructive gel fillers, craniofacial prosthesis, nerve conduits, and metatarsophalangeal joint implants. Silicones are prone to microbial infections when exposed and interactions with the host tissue. As in the case of medical inserts, the development of specific antimicrobial strategies is essential. The review highlights silicone implants' interaction with soft and bone tissue and various antimicrobial strategies, including surface coating, physical or chemical modifications, treating with antibiotics or plasma‐activated surfaces to develop the resistance to bacterial infection. Finally, 3D printing technology, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine applications, and future trends are also critically presented, indicating the silicone's potential as a biomaterial.

Surface modification of SiO2 nanoparticles for bacterial decontaminations of blood products

“…Urinary catheters are mainly based on PUR, and their properties vary depending on the nature of the additives and plasticizers used in their manufacture [36]. Moreover, silicone, polysiloxane, or polydimethylsiloxane [(CH3)2-SiO] polymer chains (Figure 1) with different lengths and molecular weights are attractive synthetic polymers, with suitable thermal stability, resistance to physical aging, flexibility, biocompatibility, and hydrophobic properties [37][38][39][40]. Many approaches are available for the modification and functionalization of the surface of organic or inorganic polymers, such as cold plasma surface treatment, which has been tested to prevent the colonization of bacteria [41,42].…”

A Novel Strategy for Creating an Antibacterial Surface Using a Highly Efficient Electrospray-Based Method for Silica Deposition

“…In addition to biocompatibility, silica also displays bioconjugation properties, and silica nanoparticles are commonly introduced as coating materials [ 38 ]. Thus, various approaches have been used in biomedical, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications, particularly for the coating of various medical devices [ 18 , 19 , 39 ]. Furthermore, Wang et al [ 19 ] developed a silica-based antibacterial coating for dental implants and showed that silica nanoparticles and gentamycin could be successfully incorporated without any risk of infection, demonstrating that silica-based materials are applicable as a drug delivery system.…”

“…Nanoparticles are commonly utilized for electrospray-based coatings; for example, titania (TiO 2 ) effectively inhibits Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) adhesion on surfaces owing to the hydrophobic properties of the nanoparticles, as reported in previous studies [ 16 , 17 ]. Moreover, silica (SiO 2 ) shows good biocompatibility and has been developed as coating materials, particularly in biomedical applications, such as urinary catheters and dental implants [ 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Individualized, Additively Manufactured Drug-Releasing External Ear Canal Implant for Prevention of Postoperative Restenosis: Development, In Vitro Testing, and Proof of Concept in an Individual Curative Trial

“…Some silicone elastomers are used in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility. In general, silicone has good UV resistance as well as excellent thermal and chemical resistance [21]. The fabrication of elastomers requires that the material cures or crosslinks through the process of molding.…”