ABSTRACT
The immune system targets, destroys, and removes foreign material. It is a complex and redundant apparatus that has evolved over eons into a coordinated process to protect the host from infection. In the modern era, a detailed understanding of the immune system has coincided with the ability to surgically implant devices. Nature, however, could not have anticipated a foreign body with benevolent intent, such as a vascular graft or a hip prosthesis. Consequently, there are complex interactions between the host immune system and biomaterials. This chapter will review the host response to implantable devices in order to provide a conceptual framework for understanding immunity and inflammation within a biologic host.
