Fifty years of study of the piezoelectric properties of macromolecular structured biological materials

The piezoelectricity of biopolymers was discovered by E. Fukada for wood and bone in the fifties. This paper induced a number of studies on piezoelectric behaviour of bone collagen and tendon in wet and dry conditions as well as in many biological substances: polysaccharides, proteins, and biodegradable, optically active oriented films of poly(L-lactic acid). The implantation of this polymer induced the growth of bone, possibly because the ionic current caused by piezoelectric polarization stimulated the activity of bone cells. The phenomenon of bone growth has been discussed in terms of application of various substances, particularly modified collagen. The healing process of bone growth is still open both from the view of mechanism and biocompatibilities of materials used for this purpose. Fukada's group has a leading position in these studies. The fifty years of study of piezoelectricity in biomaterials resulted in many important observations and indication for further promising experimental and theoretical studies which will help to discover new ways and new materials for the tissue reconstruction.