TWI Frequently asked questions
by Ewen Kellar
At present, there are only a small number of adhesives that are used for medical/surgical applications, i.e. the joining of tissue or bone. Strict regulatory guidelines govern their production and use. Broadly, there are five distinct areas of use:
| Use | Type of adhesive |
| Skin (topical applications for closing wounds and incision points) | Cyanoacrylate-based adhesives |
| Bone (joint replacement/repair) | PMMA-based bone cements |
| Soft tissue (major organs; at present, the majority of work has been in cardiovascular applications) | Various synthetic and natural (fibrin) protein-based systems |
| Vessel stabilisation (aneurysm) | Cyanoacrylate-based systems |
| Teeth (repair and cosmetic enhancement) | Acrylic-based systems relying on UV and blue-light curing mechanisms |
