Biomaterials

This line of research was born as a result of the collaboration with various groups of the UC, the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital and the Marqués de Valdecilla Training and Research Institute (IFIMAV).

The two main lines of work focus on the characterization of the resistant properties of the bones and on the determination of the mechanical behavior of the tissues of the cardiovascular system. In both cases, the influence of various pathologies (such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis in the bones or rheumatic or degenerative disease of the mitral valve) on the morphology, microstructure and mechanical properties of the affected tissues has been analyzed, working on models animals or with human tissues. The LADICIM has its own specific equipment for this type of applications, which includes a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a computerized axial microtomograph (μTAC), universal machines with mechanical characterization or an ultra-micro-hardness tester. To optimize the functionality of this line of research, in 2016, the so-called Biomaterial Engineering Unit (UIB) was created within the LADICIM.