Mechanical behaviors and biomedical applications of shape memory materials: A review

A shape memory material (shape memory alloy (SMA) or shape memory polymer (SMP)) can experience large deformation and recover its original shape when exposed to a specific external stimulus. Shape memory materials have drawn significant attention due to their applications in biomedical devices, which typically require appropriate mechanical biocompatibility, including elastic modulus compatibility, adequate strength and fracture toughness, and superior fatigue resistance. In this review, we provide an overview of mechanisms and biomedical applications of some common SMAs and SMPs, experimental evidences on their mechanical biocompatibility, and some key aspects of computational modeling. Challenges and progress in developing new shape memory materials for biomedical applications are also presented.