Artificial implants are seeing growing use in a number of branches of medicine and knowledge of the chemistry of those implants provides needed information about the nature of surface behavior, potential for degradation, and even, at the molecular level, their biological interactions. Nicholson (King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK) describes the chemical properties of polymers, ceramics, metals, and hybrids. A separate chapter is devoted to the variety of biological responses and appropriate safety testing. The final chapter discusses tissue engineering.