Biotribology: Recent progresses and future perspectives

Biotribology deals with all aspects of tribology concerned with biological systems. It is one of the most exciting and rapidly growing areas of tribology. It is recognised as one of the most important considerations in many biological systems as to the understanding of how our natural systems work as well as how diseases are developed and how medical interventions should be applied. Tribological studies associated with biological systems are reviewed in this paper. A brief history, classification as well as current focuses on biotribology research are analysed according to typical papers from selected journals and presentations from a number of important conferences in this area. Progress in joint tribology, skin tribology and oral tribology as well as other representative biological systems is presented. Some remarks are drawn and prospects are discussed.