Topic 6: Biotribology

Looking back over the last decade, it is remarkable how many columns we wrote on biological aspects of tribology. While on the one hand it is clear that lubrication of artificial joints is an important medical issue in an aging population, this was by far not the only topic that caught our imaginations. In fact, the first biotribological piece we wrote was on teeth (Tribological Testing of Teeth, June, 2006), reporting on the potential of tungsten disulphide nanoparticles, incorporated into nickel-phosphorus electroless films, to lower the friction between braces and wires, thereby facilitating orthodontic procedures…